What We Hide follows a girl named Spider (McKenna Grace) and her baby sister Jessie (Jojo Regina), whose mum dies from drugs. They are all that each other has left and they decide to hide the body in a desperate attempt not to be taken away from each other. The only person besides her sister Spider is friends with is her best friend Alexsis (Malia Baker), whose dad is a kind sheriff.

What We Hide was a very good film that was quite tense to watch. The story tackles numerous subjects such as drug abuse, grief, foster care and more. The plot is serious and makes you think about similar things that happen in real life, especially the fear of being split from your siblings in foster care. The drama is brought to life by McKenna and Jojo and their bond and chemistry together is incredible. This film has some very emotionally tense scenes and mature subject matter, which was made even stronger by the two main leads. Both actors portray their characters exceptionally well, demonstrating a wide range of acting skills. They convincingly and skillfully capture a full range of emotions—from sadness to intense arguments and beyond. Their performances were captivating and greatly enhanced the emotional depth and overall impact of the film.

I also enjoyed the romantic subplot between Spider and a boy she meets. This helped make things slightly lighter for the plot. What We Hide is a serious drama, it has lots of heartfelt moments and some slightly funny parts. I also enjoyed the sibling bond and how, most of the time, they may disagree but try their hardest not to argue with each other. In their own ways, the siblings both look after each other. Jessie, being the younger baby sibling, needs more looking after by Spider, but at the same time, Jessie can also be wise and convinces Spider to go on a date. It was nice to see the different strengths both characters had in looking after and out for each other.

I would have liked What We Hide to have include a few more light or fun scenes throughout the film, just to help balance out the heavier moments. I also think an extra scene at the end could have been helpful, as I didn’t fully understand the final shot and felt like it needed a bit more clarity or closure.

Overall, What We Hide is great and highlights important issues and topics that are current today. The performances are amazing, and watching McKenna and Jojo can be emotional because of how talented they both are. The story also does an excellent job of showcasing the emotional complexity of its characters and the hidden struggles people often face beneath the surface. What We Hide is also teaming up with ElUNA. ElUNA’s mission is to support children, teens and families impacted by grief or addiction. Founded in 2000, they offer community-building camps, interpersonal connections and a continuum of support for youth and families across America and Canada