Sarah Snook plays a fertility doctor who believes firmly in life and death, but after noticing the strange behavior of her young daughter, she must challenge her own values and confront a ghost from her past.
“Run Rabbit Run” is an Australian psychological horror film directed by Daina Reid and written by Hannah Kent. The story follows Sarah, a single mother and fertility specialist, portrayed by Sarah Snook, whose life takes a disturbing turn when her daughter Mia, played by Lily LaTorre, begins exhibiting bizarre behaviors. Mia starts to claim that she is Sarah’s sister Alice, who mysteriously disappeared at the age of seven. This unsettling declaration is accompanied by strange drawings and the wearing of a creepy rabbit mask, plunging Sarah into a terrifying psychological nightmare. As Sarah grapples with her daughter’s eerie transformation, she must confront buried traumas and haunting memories from her past.
The cast includes notable actors such as Greta Scacchi, Damon Herriman, Julia Davis, Trevor Jamieson, Georgina Naidu, and Shabana Azeez, adding depth and dimension to the film’s narrative.
Filming took place in the atmospheric locales of Waikerie in South Australia and Melbourne, Victoria. Produced by Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw for Carver Films, the movie benefitted from the financial support of several Australian film organizations. The film’s visual aesthetics play a crucial role in conveying the haunting and eerie atmosphere, with cinematographer Bonnie Elliot employing a weather-beaten palette and moody lighting to reflect Sarah’s descent into madness.
“Run Rabbit Run” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2023, and was later acquired by Netflix for distribution. The film was released on Netflix on June 28, 2023, excluding certain regions such as Benelux, Portugal, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Nordics, and Taiwan.
The film has received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 36%, with critics praising Sarah Snook’s performance but criticizing the plot for relying on familiar horror tropes. Metacritic gives it a score of 52 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Reviewers have noted the film’s atmospheric tension and strong performances but also pointed out its lack of originality and overreliance on genre conventions.
Critics have highlighted Sarah Snook’s portrayal of Sarah, describing it as a departure from her best-known role and commending her ability to convey a motherly sense of care and duty that erodes under stress and uncertainty. The film’s visual style, characterized by Bonnie Elliot’s cinematography, effectively mirrors Sarah’s psychological decline, adding to the overall haunting atmosphere.
Despite its shortcomings, “Run Rabbit Run” offers a chilling exploration of motherhood, grief, and buried traumas. The film’s compelling visual style and thematic depth provide a haunting experience, making it a noteworthy addition to the psychological horror genre.
