THE STORY – When a musician and her husband move to a remote house in Wales, the music they make disturbs local ancient folk magic, bringing a nameless child to their door who is intent on infiltrating their lives.
THE CAST – Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen & Jade Croot
THE TEAM – Bryn Chainey (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 97 Minutes
Here’s a lesson we should all learn before it’s too late: If you go poking around the woods with a recording device and stumble upon ancient areas, run as fast as you can. It’s a mistake that’ll cost you a whole lot of peace and quiet and will even summon a Barry Keoghan in “The Killing of a Sacred Deer“-esque spirit. Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen learn that the hard way in Bryn Chainey’s visually beautiful but perplexing folklore-inspired directorial debut “Rabbit Trap.” It’s a film that turns up the volume with mystifying sound design and gorgeous settings, but one that will confuse viewers along the way with its muted story on trauma infused with ancient legends.
Set in 1976, Darcy (Patel, always a welcome screen presence) and Daphne (McEwen) find themselves in the picturesque Welsh countryside, but their lives are anything but. In particular, Darcy is traumatized by nightmares featuring melting goop coming out of the walls and a mysterious, gigantic man pushing down on his chest, leading to the most terrifying visuals of this film. Daphne records his strained shrieks to try to help him come to terms with the dreams, and even though Chainey doesn’t focus much on their significance, it’s clear to us that he’s suffering from suppressed childhood trauma. Otherwise, the young couple spends their days capturing audio in the fields so that Daphne (an “influential artist,” aka not very successful) can make strange electronic music from the ethereal, sometimes crazy, sounds Darcy picked up.
The sound work is the film’s most impressive quality. We’re introduced to pulsing frequencies right away, whether they’re from birds or leaves blowing in the wind or from other-worldly creatures. One day, Darcy stumbles upon a strange mushroom circle that produces strange, hypnotic sounds. When he steps inside it, bright flashes of light occur, and he wakes up later. Clearly, it’s not a good sign for things to come; however, if anything, the hums from the recording get Daphne going in more ways than none.
Soon after, a mysterious, nameless child (Jade Croot) appears out of nowhere, summoned by all their musical poking and prodding. The couple accepts the child into their lives with no questions asked (neither what their name is nor if they have parents), and they form a sweet bond. That is until the child starts telling Darcy and Daphne about woodland fairies, some greenery growing outside their home to keep the spirits away, and how there’s rot inside Darcy that’s also degrading Daphne. The more they try to push him away, the more this kid with a creepy Victorian-era doll stare wants to make his presence known. Croot is the standout here, somehow managing to be both an innocent and terrifying presence. She’s so convincing that she’ll get under your skin, too, the longer you watch the madness unfold.
A trippy venture to a mossy, sacred area in the woods makes us think we’re in for a true horror show moving forward, but the film never raises the stakes in that respect. Instead, it chooses to go down a convoluted path with magical folklore elements taking over the couple’s home and possibly leading to their rot. While it makes for some great earthy visuals, aided by the haunting Welsh landscapes, it’s easy to get lost in the esoteric nature of its storytelling.
“Rabbit Trap” is an ambitious effort from Chainey, but too much focus on lore that the audience may not already be familiar with makes for a challenging story to follow in the end. Though Patel, McEwen, and Croot do a fine job, and technical elements shine, it’s not enough to prop up this fascinating yet frustrating film.
