Director Joel David Moore ventures into remake territory for his third directorial effort, Hide and Seek from Saban films. After the death of his wealthy father, Noah (Johnathan Rhys Meyers) seeks his outcast brother Jacob (Josh Alscher) to make amends and share the family fortune. But the family harbors a dark secret, and a series of cryptic clues will lead Noah on a terrifying trail to the truth that threatens to tear him apart from the ones he loves the most. To make matters worse, Noah must also contend with his brother’s creepy landlord Frankie Pascarillo (Mustafa Shakir).
Korean Cinema is a world all its own in terms of cinema, so choosing to remake one of their films is a massive undertaking for any director, so it's perplexing that Moore decided to take the film on. Let’s start with the good; Johnathan Rhys Meyers quickly taps into the role of a wealthy entrepreneur, suffering from excessive cleaning and anxiety, living a mundane life with hidden secrets. With his wife (Jacinda Barret) and two children, he lives in an affluent life in a very high society and tries to keep the family happy. The story actually starts strong, and I initially thought that Moore would take the film somewhere different.
However, when Noah begins his hunt to find his brother and ends up engulfed in his sibling's mysterious world, the film falls apart. Noah is chasing the enigmatic black figure, thinking that it is his brother while the revelations and symbols fail to keep you startled as frames pass. The supporting cast is all on autopilot as well.
The screenplay has weak timing of revelations, flashbacks, and strikes with boring chase sequences. The character development and subplots add zero value, and it even fails when the film attempts a genre jump. Clocking in at only 85 minutes or so, Hide and Seek isn't a total wash, but I do only recommend the film for diehard fans of Johnathan Rhys Meyers.
Final Grade: D+
Hide and Seek is available on all streaming platforms
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