From the outset, 'Hide and Seek' promises more than it can deliver, and left me not only disappointed, but also a little disturbed.
It storms straight into the story with Anne (Hannah) kidnapped by an intruder. With a series of flashbacks we are told that she was expecting a child, only to be informed at the hospital that she has made a mistake and is, in fact, not pregnant. It transpires that the guy doing the tests is the kidnapper, and he and his wife plan to hold Anne captive throughout her pregnancy, ultimately killing her and keeping the baby as their own.
There is a glimmer of an original idea behind this, but it is so badly executed that after about 45 minutes it really begins to drag. Obviously, the comparisons to 'Misery' are expected, but if you thought Kathy Bates' performance was over the top, wait until you see Jennifer Tilly! - not so much a woman on the edge, more like 200 miles over it! She sounds like a demented 'Mickey Mouse' (check out the bedroom scene, she even has the ears!) and grows ever more unbelievable, swinging from charming host to psycho killer in a flash. But this show degenerates into farce, particularly in the scene with the 'diaper service'. I was in hysterics! A totally unbelievable character, and therefore lacking in any malice, and providing no suspense whatsoever. The rest of the movie is full of such glaring plotholes that it comes across like a cheesy TV movie, with the whole idea leaving a nasty taste.
Watch it for Tilly if nothing else. You won't forget it!!
