Summary
A slow-burn psychological horror that doesn’t utilize the themes of grief and spiritual connection to their full extent.
Here is our review of the 2023 Netflix film Run Rabbit Run, which does not contain spoilers.
Earlier this year, at the Sundance Film Festival, Run Rabbit Run had its premiere during the Midnight program. Director Daina Reid presents this psychological thriller in a unique way that blends the past with the present. As Sarah’s daughter Mia gets older, her mental health becomes a discussion because Sarah hasn’t treated her own past trauma.
Sarah keeps secrets from Mia and doesn’t help her with her grief after the loss of her grandfather. Everyone has difficulty coping with the loss of a loved one, but children do express things differently.
The film does a fairly good job of addressing mental health and how children don’t have the proper vocabulary to explain what’s going on.
Run Rabbit Run (2023) Review and Plot Summary
In this film, Succession alum Sarah Snook plays a fertility doctor named Sarah who believes firmly in life and death. Still, after noticing the strange behavior of her young daughter, it challenges her values and confronts a ghost from her past.
Sarah has a fun relationship with her daughter as the film opens on her birthday. After passing an eerie lake with a sinister score, things do not seem cheery where they live. It feels gloomy, with a sense of impending doom on the way.
When she drives her daughter home from work, her daughter says that she misses someone, and Sarah questions it because her daughter has never met the person she’s describing. How could you miss someone you never met?
As they pull into the house, they notice a white bunny at the doorstep, and the daughter insists that it’s a sign the bunny belongs to her. Sarah feels a bit suspicious, given the odd things happening around the house on her daughter’s birthday. The garage door is open upon their return, and Sarah receives some letters that leave her in a weird state.
Sarah finds out that her ex-husband wants to try for another baby with his new wife, and a scream from the living room breaks the tension. Sarah’s daughter hits the other child and keeps hitting them in front of the parents.
Sarah doesn’t understand what has gotten into her daughter, but something feels very off.
It doesn’t stop there. Her daughter Mia gets in trouble at school as well, and Sarah thinks that this lashing out is about someone bullying her. Mia (Lily LaTorre) continues to say questionable things to her mother, even claiming that she misses her mom; that’s not her. The creepiness seeps through the score, and Mia (after losing the bunny) starts wearing a bunny mask.
The more Sarah keeps Mia at home, she assesses what she says because it’s like she’s connected to another world.
It plays out as an art-house horror film that builds on themes of grief, mental health, and past decisions. It almost feels directionless because of how aimless the plot is. There’s a storm coming in, the setting is there, and the single location of the house is present, but all of these elements fall flat because of the story.
Is Run Rabbit Run (2023) good or bad?
Even though Sarah Snook gives a complex performance as a struggling mother who doesn’t understand what’s happening with her daughter, the story falls flat. Director Dana Reid does create a chilling atmosphere, and the cinematography is lovely, but there’s no substance.
It is also drawn out to the point where the concept isn’t as thrilling as it was in the beginning. This is an original concept, but after watching The Babadook, it’s all a bit too familiar. If you’re a fan of Sarah Snook, then this is a good watch, or else there are other slow-burn psychological horrors that are better to sit through.
Is Run Rabbit Run (2023) worth watching?
It’s worth the watch just for Sarah Snook. However, the pacing is uneven, and it takes a while to get to the meat of the story with Sarah’s secrets. A strong performance from the lead actress isn’t enough to carry this film out, unfortunately.
The sound design and score do bump up the viewing experience, but there aren’t many scary moments to warrant how strong those elements are. Sadly, it’s not worth the watch because there’s nothing compelling about this premise halfway through the film.
What did you think of the 2023 Netflix film Run Rabbit Run? Comment below.
