Name: Retro Film Review: Hideaway (1995)
Item: Hideaway
Rating: 31
Author: @drax

(source: tcmdb.org)

(NOTE: Capsule version of the review is available here.)

There is one question that is on human mind ever since our ancestors gained the ability for abstract thinking - what happens after death. Protagonist of Hideaway, 1995 supernatural thriller directed by Bret Leonard, is going to receive the answer to this question. Hatch Harrison (played by Jeff Goldbum) has a traffic accident and dies only to be brought back to life two hours later. After this near death experience Hatch's life is turned upside down - he begins experiencing violent hallucinations about young women being killed. After a while he realises that he shares a psychic link with Vassago (played by Jeremy Sisto), psychotic serial killer. Because of this link Vassago takes interest in Hatch's teenage daughter Regina (played by Alicia Silverstone) and Hatch is forced to protect his family.

Dean R. Koontz, author of the bestselling 1992 novel upon which this film is based, was so disgusted with the adaptation that he tried to remove his name from the film credits. Although Koontz's sentiment could be understood after so many good novels being basis for bad films and although Hideaway has many faults, it isn't as atrocious as the novelist's reaction might indicate. Bret Leonard did much better job than while adapting Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man three years earlier, although it isn't much of an achievement. Andrew Kevin Walker's script is interesting and the movie is suspenseful enough to keep viewer's attention until the very end. Then Leonard must turn Hideaway into the orgy of pointless CGI effects and the plot must be wrapped with a twist any experienced viewer could have sensed at the very beginning. Viewers have many reasons to be disappointing, especially with the waste of Alicia Silverstone's acting talents, since her character is reduced to standard little damsel in distress. On the other hand, Jeff Goldblum is more than passable in his role and Gale Tattersall's photography together with locations of British Columbia provide good atmosphere. But all that is barely enough to make Hideaway worthy of viewer's attention.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on September 10th 2002)