Sarah Snook in Superficial Maternal Horror – The Hollywood Reporter

Following within the footsteps of The Babadook and Hereditary, Run Rabbit Run provides a layer of generational evaluation to horror depictions of motherhood. Although moms have at all times been on the middle of horror tales, the main target of the narrative has lately shifted. Filmmakers have change into extra within the query of what the existence of a kid reveals in regards to the mom, somewhat than the extra primal parental fears. These tales usually converse to the millennial need to not reproduce, both as a result of state of the world or extra pointedly, the worry of “messing up” a toddler with neuroses and generational trauma. It could be ahistorical to say that horror solely simply started tackling trauma. The style has at all times explored and offered commentary on the character of trauma. However because the very idea of “trauma” turns into extra well-liked, the allusions to it in style cinema have change into extra literal. 

Within the Australian psychological thriller Run Rabbit Run, parenthood is a bleak, remoted nightmare. The sky is downcast, the rooms of the home are darkish and stuffed with shadows, and Sarah (Sarah Snook) seems to be lonely, even along with her younger daughter Mia (Lily LaTorre). It’s Mia’s birthday, however the temper is somber. Mia is withdrawn and Sarah is fast to anger. The presence of her ex-husband Peter (David Herriman) and his new household solely appears to worsen issues, as Sarah learns that they’re attempting for one more little one. Worse nonetheless, Mia begins to indicate indicators of being bullied, which makes Sarah really feel helpless. With a busy work schedule and nonexistent private life, Sarah spends all her free time worrying about her daughter.

Ever since her birthday, Mia has begun appearing unusually. In sure moments her speech turns into extra mature and she or he appears to pay attention to her mom’s secrets and techniques. “You’re a horrible individual,” she yells at Sarah throughout a heated argument, by no means clarifying what she means by that. Appearing as her mom’s responsible conscience, Mia alludes to a previous occasion Sarah doesn’t need to keep in mind. Slowly, her life turns into a waking nightmare as her relationship with Mia begins to deteriorate. Mia stops referring to Sarah as her mom, treating her like a stranger. Issues come to a boil when Sarah takes Mia to her childhood dwelling, hoping it is going to present readability for the state of affairs. Quickly it turns into clear that battle between mom and daughter goes deeper than both one realizes.

Moody and atmospheric, Run Rabbit Run simply builds pressure and dread. And but, it retains hinting at depth that by no means comes. Director Daina Reid takes us by means of all the same motions–hallucinations, mysterious accidents, bursts of violence in probably the most generic approach doable. Even the symbolic white rabbit that seems all through the movie evokes neither curiosity nor dread.

However probably the most irritating factor about Run Rabbit Run is its minimalist method to presenting Sarah and her frustrations. We by no means get inside her head as a result of the movie is extra fascinated by withholding from us than telling a full, compelling story. Scenes with members of the family that ought to fill out the narrative with wealthy backstory are repetitive and obscure, offering no perception into why Sarah is so remoted and unstable within the first place. 

Sarah’s family and friends aren’t useful, partially as a result of she doesn’t have the language to inform them what’s occurring. However there’s additionally an edge to Sarah, one that may’t simply be defined away by fatigue. Snook performs her as if she had been a toddler trapped in an grownup’s physique — defensive, simply overwhelmed and liable to tantrums. Moments between mom and daughter shortly devolve into round arguments. And but, LaTorre reveals promise as Mia, in a precocious efficiency in want of a greater movie. Author Hannah Kent’s script is just too minimalist to offer memorable strains of dialogue for the younger actress.

Finally, the movie seems like a missed alternative to discover the methods childhood by no means actually leaves us, and the way having kids can pressure a mom to query who she actually is. There are moments when it seems like Sarah doesn’t really feel match to be a mom in any respect. If solely Run Rabbit Run wasn’t so afraid to dig deeper.