Hide & Seek Review

 What is it all about?

Its tribute times in Bollywood, well the wanted /unwanted homage to Hollywood continues with `Hide & Seek', but this time it smells like a `Teen spirit' popularly known as `teen horror' in US of A where `Jimmy didn't had a gun' but the guy dressed as santa... matlab mad max on a shopping mall street... carries a baseball type sword to terrify our souls as our mind `screams' `caught you' as you do this movie watching this summer.

Debutant helmer Shawn Arranha in a loosely inspired `I Know What You Did Last Summer' screenplay by Suresh Nair and Apoorva Lakhia tries to combine familiar elements from horror staples and a few novel twists, `Hide and Seek' has superior fright elements that then the routine stuffs. A bit clever and tricky to rise above the usual fodder, some good acting with technical confidence sets the movie on target for its primary audience maintaining the slasher echoes alive in this psychological fright express that are hallmark of such movies.

The Story...of course

They were kids - Om (Purab Kohli) Abhi (Samir Kochhar), Jaideep(Arjan Bajwa), Imran(Ayaz Khan), Gunita (Amruta Patki) and Jyotika (Mrinalini Sharma) it all started as a game on a chilly Christmas Night.

But little did they expect that night and that game would change their lives forever. Twelve years later, while some still wrestled with memories of that fateful night and others left it buried deep within them, it was a past that came back to haunt them again. Twelve years later, someone was bringing them all together. To play that game all over again!

But this time it will cost them their lives!

Haunted by the past... Trapped in a shopping mall... Six best friends turn into worst enemies.

What to look out for?

The script lays out the dire consequences of having made the wrong decision. Remainder of the film plays out as a cat-and-mouse game, with the friends captured in the mall taking their own lead in unmasking the killer before he can diminish their ranks.

The tight and crisp narration by newcomer Shawn Arranha demonstrates adroitness at creating vivid young protagonists where at least a slasher/teen horror lover will enjoy.

Decent performance by Purab, Mrinali, Sameer and Arjan help in supporting the helmer's cause and the technical brilliance in the back ground music by Amar Mohile

And the smart lensing by Srikant Naroj bring in the thrill elements.

What not?

It's a warning sign that the serious underpinnings and attention to the slasher piece and `teen horor' satisfaction sacrifices for wider genre demands, ultimately, that limits the movies appeal.

 Recommended: For the lovers of slasher and `teen horror' shows

Rating: ***