HIDE AND SEEK

After the suicide of her mother, little Emily Callaway, traumatized by the event, is taken by her psychologist father to live in a house lost in the woods. But from the very first day in the new home, Emily begins to talk and play with a new and mysterious friend, Charlie, whom only she can see. Soon, Charlie becomes increasingly intrusive and pushes Emily to do and say things against her will. David, Emily's father, begins to suspect that behind the figure of Charlie, previously considered an imaginary friend, hides a person of flesh and blood. Who could it be? The mysterious neighbor who has just lost his daughter? The intrusive former owner of the house? Or is it really a supernatural presence that threatens the physical and mental integrity of the child? Classic "scary movie" of the new millennium that exploits all possible clichés of the genre, starting with a noticeable reference to Kubrick's "Shining": indeed, just as in the 1980 film, this "Hidden in the Dark" also begins with a panoramic tracking shot that follows the protagonists' car as they head towards the house in the woods (a smaller-scale Overlook Hotel, but just as spectral and isolated), continues in a crescendo of inner madness to culminate in a climax that sees the explosion of that repressed madness. The similarities with Kubrick's film are therefore numerous, but "Hidden in the Dark" also collects references to other recent successes: there is a maladjusted child who communicates with unsettling presences ("The Sixth Sense") and hidden guilt in the protagonists' past, as well as suffering and mysterious neighbors just enough ("The Hidden Truths"). The film plays on fear mechanisms now familiar to the more seasoned viewer: unsettling noises, a cat (and yes, cats are always there!) that suddenly emerges from the closet, spectral and dark settings, the isolated phone, the light that suddenly goes out, and the more the merrier! It is therefore clear that originality is not the strong point of this film, but the film has several merits, starting with the top-notch cast: in the role of David, the tormented father, there is the always great Robert De Niro, coming from the mediocre but equally unsettling "Godsend"; while in the role of little Emily there is Dakota Fanning, a young and talented actress (who already boasts numerous successes such as "I Am Sam" and "24 Hours", as well as the upcoming "The War of the Worlds") who more than once steals the scene from De Niro. The rest of the cast includes Famke Jenssen (the Jean Grey of "X-Men") and Elisabeth Shue (back in a horror after "The Man Without a Shadow"). Moreover, the film can be divided into two distinctly different parts: there is a slow first half that serves to accumulate events and clues (very atmospheric thriller), and a second half that resolves all doubts and leads to a surprising, unpredictable ending (very psycho-thriller). This makes the film particularly engaging and interesting, especially in the first half, focusing on the difficult relationship between a child very attached to her recently lost mother and a psychologist father who tends to view his daughter more as a clinical case to study than as a wounded creature in need of comfort. The direction is entrusted to John Polson, a quasi-anonymous director, already the author of the useless "Swimfan", who seems to have understood how to keep the viewer's interest alive, supported also by the suggestive photography of Dariusz Wolski. Perhaps the weak link in the machinery is the screenplay by the semi-debutante Ari Schlossberg, which presents more than one narrative hole and is too busy surprising the viewer with false clues. In conclusion, "Hidden in the Dark" appears as a good atmospheric thriller that adds nothing new to the genre, but is enjoyable and interesting to follow. Trivia: Originally, the film was supposed to be directed by Albert Hughes, already the author of "From Hell – The True Story of Jack the Ripper".