That said, it's a pretty fun, bloody ride -- with a likable lead performance from newcomer Samara Weaving -- it just can't seem to decide what it wants to be.
It has a sense of humor -- it clearly wants to take shots at the privileged class -- and the more the film leans into its jokes the better it works, but the melodramatic stuff doesn't land.
The premise is pretty simple. A bizarro rich family engages in a ritual whenever a new family member joins in order to preserve their bloodline that involves the newcomer playing a game -- in this case Hide or Seek -- which can be deadly.
The cat and mouse stuff is solid here but not particularly exceptional. This is that rare movie that probably could stand to be not quite as gorgeous looking as it is. In fact, this movie made me appreciate Get Out so much more because it not only felt more grounded but also it deftly made its political points without detracting from its story.
The family resents and looks down on Weaving's character but we never truly understand why. The rich villains (with the exception of an always amusing Adam Brody) are mostly broad caricatures. And the first half of the film drags a bit while finding its way to its inevitable showdown.
The second half is more exciting, especially when Weaving's situation continues to spiral downward. I wish the movie had kept that tone going throughout -- this could have been a really insightful investigation of the ruthlessness of some wealthy people. I think it thinks it's that, but it's really just a nasty little genre movie, which is totally fine, if not exceptional.
It feels like it could have been a streaming Netflix movie, not a must see, but a totally diverting night in on the couch. If horror wasn't on such a hot streak right now, I might recommend it more, but for me it was just a B.
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