Common Sense Media Review
Older teens may enjoy; too creepy for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hide and Seek
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an engaging thriller with a complex storyline and surprising plot twists, making it suitable for tweens and teens rather than young children. While some find it more dramatic than horror, warnings about its disturbing themes and graphic violence are echoed throughout the reviews, suggesting that discretion is advised for younger viewers.
- thrilling twists
- not for kids
- disturbing themes
- drama over horror
- teen-friendly
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In this atmospheric thriller, widower Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) moves his daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning) to a woodsy town in upstate New York to help her escape the memories of his wife's suicide. In Woodland, they meet the local police officer, the jumpy real estate agent, and a married couple who live next door, trying to cope with the recent loss of their daughter, who was Emily's age. David reaches out to child psychiatrist Katherine (Famke Jannson), who is the understanding adult trying to help Emily and coach David through the grieving process. Emily starts talking about all the fun games she is playing with "Charlie," her imaginary friend. The disfigured dolls, scrawled threats, and dead cat that follow alarm David enough to leave his study, where he spends most of the day. Emily's strange drawings hint that Charlie might be positioning himself to be Emily's only friend, and the mysterious death that follows finally drives father and daughter to action. To say anything more would make Charlie very, very angry.
Is It Any Good?
HIDE AND SEEK features strong acting, and the film's quiet scenes are more terrifying than on-screen mayhem. Most of the movie comprises a slow but steady-paced thriller with the camera drinking in little Emily's eerie stare and propensity for standing in the doorway whenever something spooky is happening. The last twenty minutes of the movie will satisfy audiences looking for a cathartic terror and a good twist. For some jaded audiences, however, the ending might seem self-conscious, forced, and dragged-out, especially when Charlie's secret is revealed.
Robert De Niro gives a solid but uninspired performance, and Dakota Fanning does a lovely job in this movie, out-acting the grown-ups with breathtaking grace and dignity. She genuinely seems to break, well, just like a little girl during the big showdown.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Emily did not feel like she could talk about her emotions directly and what other characters might have done to let Emily know she was not alone. What does the last picture that we see on-screen mean about Emily and about the future?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 28, 2005
- On DVD or streaming : July 5, 2005
- Cast : Dakota Fanning , Famke Janssen , Robert De Niro
- Director : John Polson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : frightening sequences and violence
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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