I just saw Rabbit Trap at Sundance, a film I was looking forward to seeing when I learned Elijah Wood's production company SpectreVision was behind it. They specialize in some of the most original offbeat thrillers and genre films of the past decade, such as Mandy (2018), The Greasy Strangler (2016), and Color Out of Space (2019). This one was billed as a folk-horror film, which is a subgenre I tend to approach with caution, although there are examples I absolutely love. Robert Eggers' The Witch (2015) is one of my favorite films ever made, and Lukas Feigelfeld's Hagazussa (2017) is a haunting, little-known witch movie I find captivating. Actually, now that I think of it, maybe it's just witch films I'm drawn to lol. At any rate, it's also a "slow-burn" film, which can totally work for me if it builds to something chilling or thought-provoking. Unfortunately, Rabbit Trap left me mostly yawning.
The story is about a married couple (Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen) in the 1970s at their remote home in the Welsh countryside, who are working on recording an album of experimental music. I'm not sure why this was set in the 70s, other than to eliminate modern sound tech which wouldn't be as compelling as Darcy wandering the woods with his big microphone, recording ambient sounds, and editing on reel-to-reel tape. Immediately, I was reminded of Brian DePalma's Blow Out (1981) where sound recording becomes a sensory experience. In Rabbit Trap, the sound design is its most powerful element. Simple sounds of touching moss become amplified and distorted. "Seeing with your ears" becomes the film's main metaphor...ooh I get it...and like, rabbits have big ears! I guess for a while this was enough to hold my interest. But as the story unfolded I found myself struggling to connect.
One day, the couple's isolated routine of sound recording and editing is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a boy (Jade Croot) who is never given a name, which becomes an important element of the story, I think. He inserts himself into their lives, becoming more and more needy to the point of eventually being annoying. He's like that friend who can't read the room and refuses to leave the party at 2 am. So the couple never questions where he came from or asks anything about his family life. He seems to enjoy trapping rabbits and likes to talk cryptically, musing on life and fairy magic, and I guess something tied to Welsh folklore. I think. It was hinting at some sort of deeper allegory that felt beyond my pay scale. I kept looking for the film to provide me with some context to help me grasp it.
I'm actually a fan of ambiguity. I often complain that too many films tie everything up too neatly and don't leave me enough to ponder. But in Rabbit Trap, it just felt like a barrier to understanding. I also have patience for slow-burn, but I need it to lead to something: some sort of emotional payoff or twist or something shocking. But sheesh, this felt like it was just toying with me, but not in a good way. I just got sleepy trying to decode it.
It's possible that my lack of knowledge of Welsh fairy folklore hindered my experience. Folk horror usually relies on some sort of mythological or cultural framework, but I need a little more exposition in some way to explain a little. As a result, Rabbit Trap isn't scary or spooky, in the way I think it is hoping to be.
Visually, the film looks great. The cinematography captures the lush landscape and creates a sense of isolation that fits the story well. The performances are good, but the dialog felt detached from the audience, which may have been intentional, but it added to my frustration.
I dunno. This is just one of those frustrating movies that just didn't connect with me. It felt like I was missing a joke at a party where everyone else, including the teller, was laughing. I couldn't get a foothold into this story, but I'm sure it will resonate beautifully with viewers who are on the same wavelength.
In the end, Rabbit Trap is a film I admire more than I enjoyed. Its sound design and cinematography are great, but its narrative left me trapped in confusion.
