Firstly, it was such a joy to finally see a horror movie with an 18 certificate! You know it’s going to be good and gory at this point, and so it was.
The premise is that when someone marries into the Le Domas gaming family, they have to play a game to earn their rightful place in said family. The game could be anything from Old Maid to Chess, but the one game you don’t want to pick out is Hide and Seek.
How the game is decided is determined by a wooden box, designed by a partner to the Le Domas family way back when. An empty card is placed inside the box and the box then prints the game that is to be played.
Unfortunately for Grace, the newest addition to the family, the box printed the Hide and Seek card. This card last appeared when her new husband was just a boy and it filled him with such horror that he wanted to get away from his family as soon as he could. The trouble was, small matters like the wedding seemed to mean he HAD to come back and thus subject his new bride to the family tradition. He had no idea which game would be chosen and when the Hide and Seek card came up, he tried his best to get Grace out of the house and to safety.
Why? Because the Hide and Seek card is the card which means that the devil expects his payment. All family members are on a hunt to kill, before sunrise. If they don’t find Grace and kill her, then they will be killed in return. That’s the price the Le Domas family have to pay for the business dealings of past family members.
The movie is basically about one woman’s battle to save herself against hellish odds. It is infused with black humour, gore, screw ups, violence, devil worship, and characters that you can’t help to identify with on some level.
The movie is extremely well made and even had me squirming in my seat at some of the scenes – I bet you can’t guess which though!
The blood and gore fits the story and the situation, the profanity is understandable, given the intense pressure every character is under, and the family is recognisably dysfunctional. The end has a nice twist to it too, but whether it is the twist you want is another matter.
The explosive ending itself, for me, could have been done a lot better, as it did make me put my head in my hands and wish for someone with some taste to have stepped in. BUT, it doesn’t take away the fact this is an original, very well put together movie.
Definitely worth a watch. You will have a chuckle, as well as feel a tad squeamish, I can assure you!
