Horror movies that explore maternal themes, or as it’s so plainly written, maternal horror, or the “mother-horror” subgenre is a very packed one in horror. Movies like The Babadook, Hereditary, Rosemary’s Baby, and Goodnight Mommy are without a doubt the best to ever do it, and offer compelling dives into motherhood all while delivering some truly horrifying experiences.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, Run Rabbit Run is the latest film to tackle the “mother-horror” subgenre to varied effect. It’s a haunting flick carried by powerful performances, however Run Rabbit Run perhaps leans into its genre tropes a little too much.
Directed by the fantastic Daina Reid, mostly known for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale, Run Rabbit Run is still a spooky good time despite the clichés. Fans of the “mother-horror” subgenre will find plenty to enjoy about the Netflix Original flick, if they can look past the tropes and its lack of originality. It may lose some audiences during the movies second act, but Run Rabbit Run, does well to recapture audiences attention during it’s final minutes.
“… Run Run Run”
Run Rabbit Run follows Sarah (Sarah Snook), a fertility doctor who begins noticing some strange behavior from her daughter, Mia (Lilly LaTorre). Sarah must challenge her own values and confront a ghost from her past in the process.
The film starts on a scene that should typically be a day of happiness and cheer; however, Mia’s seventh birthday is depressingly grim. At this point, we don’t know why, but Daina Reid fills the scene with heaps of paranoia. Soon, Sarah’s ex-husband Pete (Damon Herriman) and his girlfriend Andrea (Georgina Naidu) come over to celebrate. Andrea’s son begins hitting Mia, forcing Sarah to shout out the poor boy, in front of his parents. Immediately something seems off.
As the film progresses, Mia begins to act very strange. She begins asking to see Joan (Greta Scacchi), whom she’s never met, and starts screaming at Sarah to call her Alice, who we learn about later on in the film. As the film progresses, Mia’s actions become increasingly strange. At least this is what the film leads you to believe, but with any good “mother-horror,” it’s the mother who may be at fault. Her past trauma comes back to haunt her while Sarah continually lose her grip on reality.
Related: The Best Netflix Original Horror Movies, Ranked
Sarah carries a lot of trauma, from losing her sister when she was younger, to her mother developing Alzheimer’s and her father passed away. These psychological and emotional issues make Sarah an unreliable narrator of sorts, and the film plays with her perception of reality and the people around her in twists that, although predictable, does work and is nonetheless shocking and disturbing.
Haunting Atmosphere
Netflix
Daina Reid immediately shrouds audiences in a tense and haunting atmosphere. Through Bonnie Elliott’s stunning yet creepy cinematography, and Mark Bradshaw and Marcus Whale’s nerve-racking score, Reid is able to deliver a truly creepy experience.
As previously mentioned, Run Rabbit Run relies heavily on the tropes of maternal horror films established more than 50 years ago with films like Rosemary’s Baby, Carrie, and even Psycho in a way. You have the kid acting strange and creepy with the mother simultaneously dealing with psychological issues, until a shocking twist at the end. Although these tropes are clearly evident, they don’t necessarily hold the film back. It’s simply that the lack of originality fails to compete against the subgenre’s best. The film starts incredibly strong, but as it progresses, Run Rabbit Run will begin to lose its audience slightly because its heavy reliance on the tropes.
The jump scares are predictable for the most part here, though there are a few that are quite effective. Ultimately, it’s the atmosphere and tension where the movie really shines. Scattered with haunting imagery, the film will continuously make audiences feel uneasy despite its flaws. Rarely has a rabbit made us feel so uncomfortable.
Creepy Kid
Netflix
Kids are creepy and irritating — especially in horror movies. From the kid in The Babadook who irritated every single person upon their first viewing but ended up having a great arc, to the kid in The Poltergeist who hauntingly says, “They’re here,” kids can be a great way to get audiences invested in horror, and almost always adds to a creepy and disturbing atmosphere. Let’s not forget the two twins from The Shining and Goodnight Mommy, after all. Creepy stuff.
Mia, the young girl in Run Rabbit Run, follows similar developments. She suggests that all is not at it seems almost immediately, and as the film progresses, Mia becomes more hostile, confrontational, abusive, and of course creepy. She’s lingering in the background, drawing images a child of her age should never be drawing, and possessing knowledge of her mother’s life and trauma which she should never know. On top of that, she even fashions herself a haunting mask which feels very much like something out of Pet Sematary or Children of the Corn.
Lilly LaTorre gives a fantastic and haunting performance as Mia. Her eerie delivery enhances the tension and uncomfortable nature of the film, cementing herself among the creepiest and most irritating (in a good way) children in horror. A feat not so easily achieved.
Related: Best Horror Movies With Creepy Kids, Ranked
Sarah Snook Can Do No Wrong
Netflix
Currently, Sarah Snook is among the best actors working in the business. Her performance in the hit HBO show Succession was jaw-dropping and her roles in the horror movie Jessabelle and hard hitting drama Pieces of a Woman were simply flawless. Here, she gets to flaunt her impeccable acting chops once again as Snook essentially carries the weight of this psychological horror entirely on her shoulders.
At first Snook leads us to believe that Sarah is still a somewhat level-headed, charming, and caring mother. But it’s actually how the movie delves into Sarah’s insecurities, grief, and past trauma is where Snook really shines. Heightening the movie’s tense and haunting atmosphere, Snook’s powerful performance is utterly compelling. As her character loses her grip on reality, Snook’s performance becomes unpredictable and unstable, making the twist in the latter half of the film far more satisfying and believable than it should be. Snook seals the deal here.
Run Rabbit Run is now on Netflix and can be streamed below.
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