'Seek' out this horror flick

The first completely believable horror movie produced in quite a while, "Hide and Seek" is more a psychological thriller than a gore flick. It explores the deep trauma behind the suicide of a loved one and paints a horrifying picture of the outcome.\nEmily Callaway (Dakota Fanning) is a traumatized little girl who develops an imaginary friend in order to deal with her mother's death. Of course the imaginary friend turns out to be not so imaginary, but his identity is revealed in a plot twist you'll never see coming. Fanning, ever the talented actress, perfectly executes the hollow stares and dark behavior that make her character believable -- and frightening. The decision to dye her sunny yellow hair brunette was the icing on the cake.\nPlaying David Callaway, Robert De Niro seems to fall short of the talent bar that Fanning sets for the movie. While her acting has the audience believing in her disturbed psyche, De Niro never gets anyone believing that he is truly concerned about his daughter's mental state. A poor attempt at a crying scene just doesn't seem realistic enough to portray a man whose daughter is staging her mother's death. But, of course, even De Niro's worst can surpass most actors' best.\nLike any good horror flick, "Hide and Seek" attempts to set the viewer's mind on a wild goose chase trying to figure out who the imaginary friend really is. The only problem is that these twists are so underdeveloped and transparent that they never sufficiently distract the audience. Even more frustrating than the see-through detours was the fact that any of these twists could have made an interesting subplot if further developed. \nOne would think that those alternate lines would get wrapped up at the end of the film, but the main line is even left open-ended. Sure it's effective to leave a little mystery, but this is mysterious to the point that it almost seems desperate.\nBesides the few shortfalls -- which are to be expected with any horror movie -- "Hide and Seek" is pleasantly creepy without leaving you with nightmares.