Hide (2002) User Reviews

So short and so weird, it's worth a look

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 11 November 2008]

This is a very odd short film. A man is at a hotel showering when he hears some noise in this room. He checks and sees that his clothes are all gone and in their place is a Calder-like mobile made from the empty hangers and a deer costume! When he goes to the lobby to complain (wearing a toga made from the bed sheet), he sees dozens and dozens of female patrons wearing deer costumes. So, he rushes back upstairs and dons the stag costume to wear it proudly.

I do agree with Bob the Moo when he felt that the resolution of the film was a bit obvious as well as disappointing. However, I can respect the risk the production team took and it is the best short I've ever seen about a guy in a deer suit, so I feel a bit more charitable towards the film. Not great but because it's so short, still worth a peek.

Weird and interesting but disappointingly obvious (spoilers)

[bob the moo · 26 October 2002]

A man is taking a shower in his hotel room when he hears a noise. He comes out to find all his clothes stolen and only some sort of deer suit hanging in his wardrobe. He goes outside wrapped in his bed sheets to find a load of women dressed as deer - he decides it's a pretty good time to be a male deer! But is it?

This starts well with an air of mystery and could have built to be much better than it was. However once the initial pieces fall into place it's easy to guess where it's going, even if you hope it'll surprise you. The ending has our man being tricked into being a deer by hunters who then trap him. It's a shame because I thought it would be cleverer than that and it wasn't. I didn't even think it was very funny either. The direction is good for the first few minutes but the obvious script spoils the best intentions.

Overall it's worth a watch as it is only a few minutes long, but I was really disappointed by the direction it went in - so ordinary, so uninspired and obvious. I'd expect that from a comedy show sketch but it's harder to take from a stand alone short - was that ending the film's raison d'être? Watch once and then never again.