Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien
Run Time: 1 Hour, 35 Minutes
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2SdPsQ4
Synopsis
As credits roll, we open on shots of board games on display and two children running through the house. Someone gets shot with a crossbow and dragged away screaming after one of the boys shouts, “He’s here!”
30 Years later, Grace and Daniel are getting married. His family is a bunch of weird snobs, and she’s not an upper-class type. A strange woman comes into the room through a secret door and states that “You’d better hide better than that.” At midnight, Grace has to play a game. It’s something that you have to do when you join the family. Daniel makes it sound like a fun formality; usually it’s Monopoly or something like that. Usually.
At midnight, they go into the “game room” a room full of taxidermy and board games. He explains about old Mr. Le Bail and his mysterious box. They put in a blank card and out comes the name of the game they must play. Grace’s card is “Hide and Seek.” Everyone looks a little grim.
The rules are simple. Grace hides somewhere in the house, and the rest of the family has to find her. They play “The Hide and Seek Song” on the record player. As Grace goes and finds a hiding place, the rest of the family pulls out shotguns and crossbows. This isn’t the usual game of hide and seek.
Grace watches as someone shoots one of the servants, and while she listens to the family discuss it, she figures out what’s really happening. According to Le Bail’s rules, they have to kill her before sunrise or something bad will happen to the family.
There’s a lot of running around and accidents. Another of the servants buys it. Before long, Grace is armed as well, but that doesn’t work out so well either. Soon, they’re all out of servants, and only the family is left.
And even then, it’s just one damned thing after another, as Grace has the worst wedding night since… maybe ever.
Commentary
It’s got some funny parts to it, but it’s also more than a little slow paced at times. The gore, especially at the end, is pretty good. And there’s an especially cringy part with a nail that you can see coming a mile away and it’s still good. Overall, it’s more a “fun horror” than anything particularly scary, creepy, or suspenseful. But remember the next time you’re job hunting, that being a maid or a butler really just isn’t worth it.