Hive
The brief
Felipe Vargas turns a simple babysitting nightmare into something far more unsettling, building dread through paranoia rather than jump scares. Xochitl Gomez anchors the whole thing with genuine teenage anxiety that curdles into full-blown terror as reality starts bending around her. The playground setting becomes genuinely menacing in ways that feel fresh, playing on that primal fear of losing track of a child in a crowd. Perfect for fans of psychological horror like It Follows or The Babadook who want their scares to mess with their heads long after the credits roll.
The verdict
If you crave psychological horror that builds slow-burn dread and lingers in your mind for days, this is a masterclass in paranoia-driven terror that will have you questioning reality alongside its teenage protagonist. If you prefer fast-paced scares or need constant action to stay engaged, the deliberate pacing and mind-bending approach will likely test your patience.
Watch with
- 👤 Horror fans who prefer mind games over gore
- 👫 Date night for psychological thriller couples
- ⚠️ Skip if you're currently babysitting
Heads up
- Child endangerment and missing child scenario (moderate)
- Psychological breakdown and reality distortion (moderate)
- Intense paranoia and anxiety themes (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Felipe Vargas
- Cast
- Xochitl Gomez, Aaron Dominguez, Jenny le Roux, Kelly Chandrapaul, Tanya van Graan, Thulani Nzonzo, Victoria Firsova
Official synopsis
A strict, anxious teenager loses the child she’s babysitting and must brave a sinister force hiding in plain sight among the children in the playground. As her world unravels and her grip on reality starts to slip, she must outwit a world where nothing is as it seems to make it out alive.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Perfect Blue (1998)
Both feature protagonists losing grip on reality while facing psychological horror.
