Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Latino-led horror with gore, creepy kids, strong language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hive
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In HIVE, Sasha (Xochitl Gomez), a teenager with anxiety working as a nanny, loses the child she's babysitting at a playground in an affluent neighborhood, where the local kids seem strangely connected and increasingly unsettling. As she searches for the missing child, she finds herself trapped in a world where the playground appears and disappears without explanation, the kids seem to share a sinister bond, and the line between what is real and what is happening around her becomes harder to trust.
Is It Any Good?
This is an engaging horror film that could've been a little better. A creepy playground, eerily synchronized kids, and a nanny who can feel something is very wrong should be enough to make a horror movie truly unsettling. Hive never quite gets there, but it's entertaining enough if you go in expecting more gore than genuine dread. The creepy kid material is hit or miss, and some of it's so exaggerated that it turns unintentionally funny, while the neighborhood mystery feels assembled from other, better horror movies like Get Out and Weapons. Regardless, the film is well made on a basic level, and it knows how to keep things moving.
Xochitl Gomez does a lot to hold it together. She plays Sasha's anxiety with real control and the movie wisely refuses to turn her panic attacks into a reason not to believe her. That gives the story a maturity that sets it apart from flimsier genre entries. Gomez also has strong chemistry with Aaron Dominguez, and together they keep the film grounded even when the horror itself feels overly familiar. This is not the kind of movie that will linger for long, but for horror fans, and especially for anyone excited by the sight of a Latino-led scary movie, it makes for a solid watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Marco and the way he sometimes ignores what Sasha tells him she needs. How does the movie show the difference between protecting someone and truly listening to what they need?
What does the story suggest about anxiety and fear, especially when a person feels like no one fully believes what they're experiencing?
Why do you think the film uses children and familiar spaces like playgrounds to create fear, and what makes those images so unsettling?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 17, 2026
- Cast : Xochitl Gomez , Aaron Dominguez , Zenobia Kloppers
- Director : Felipe Vargas
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , South American Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Puerto Rican Movie Actor(s) , African Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Writer(s) , South American Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Tubi
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : April 21, 2026
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