Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen disturb ancient forces in Bryn Chainey’s fascinating genre feature, premiering in Sundance’s Midnight slate.
Repressed memories have a habit of creeping back into the minds of those who try hardest to deny them. Such as the protagonist of Bryn Chainey’s promising Sundance debut. Few first features are as atmospheric and multilevelled as this allegorical exploration of unprocessed pain. Set in the 70ies in Britain’s remote countryside, it boasts an innovative soundscape mirroring the ominous scenery. Here ancient woodlands hide secrets as dark and disturbing as the ones of Dev Patel’s troubled main character Darcy. He has just moved in these treacherously beautiful surroundings with his partner Daphne (Rosy McEwen), a pioneering electric musician. Helping her by recording nature sounds around their secluded cottage, Darcy is in many ways haunted.
Right from the beginning nightmares of his father plague Darcy. Soon the terrors are made worse by the appearance of a strange local child. The ageless, genderless and nameless character (an excellent Jade Croot) turns up on the meadows out of nowhere. It identifies itself only by its profession of rabbit hunting. When it explains to Darcy how it sets out the titular traps by offering the rodents “what they want most as a gift”, it becomes obvious that the young couple is supposed to be its next prey. Until here the plot sticks close to the conventions of folk horror stories about ancient evil. However, the director-writer digs deeper, both on a psychological and mythological level. The rabbit hunter is established as in turns pitiful and threatening and thus becomes much more than an evil changeling.
The unsettling character is an embodiment of Darcy’s childhood trauma as much as his and Daphne’s unfulfilled wish for a child. As long as the two indulge their precocious little guest – who in turn rewards them by leading them to magical forest spots filled with otherworldly sounds – everything seems fine. Things take a dark turn as the kid displays a staggering disregard for personal boundaries, leading Darcy to kick it out. Just like the painful memories lingering in Darcy’s soul, the intrusive stranger refuses to go away. A complex subplot about nature and noise means to tap into the subconscious supports the mythical metaphors.
These metaphors rely on an sensory understanding of nature that is at the same time childlike and poetic. As common in local lore and fairy tales, the forest is a dangerous place, reminding humans of their limited understanding of its mysteries and secrets. As the woods embody the soul, the ground underneath refers to the subconscious. It is this subconscious sphere to which the kid refers when telling Daphne and Darcy about the Tylwyth Teg, elf-like spirits from Welsh mythology. As long as humans don’t anger them, the creatures can be kind and helpful. But those who cross them, even if unintended, will quickly feel their wrath. And the protagonists are no exception.
Audio-visual gimmicks provide the moments of supernatural connection between humans and nature with an experimental edge and a dreamlike atmosphere. Droning sounds emanate from the deep forest. While vaguely distracting, the imbue the mysterious scenario with a unique aura. A legendary fairy realm hidden underground becomes an allegory for what is buried in the mind. Some of the analogies aren’t exactly new. Still, they ultimately work in favor of a plot deeply indebted to fairytales and folklore. Distinct performances, especially by Croot, moody cinematography and a spellbinding score create an uncanny composition of myth, folk horror and psychological drama. Some of its ideas remain too flimsy. But on the whole this film resonates, and not only on an acoustic level.
- OT: Rabbit Trap
- Director: Bryn Chainey
- Screenplay: Bryn Chainey
- Year: 2024
- Distribution | Production © Bankside Films
