Since the early noughties, director Daina Reid has been solidly working within television. Her career has seen her direct episodes of shows, including The Handmaid’s Tale. Now, twenty years later, Reid has moved into films with her feature debut, Run Rabbit Run.
Sarah Snook stars as Sarah, a single mother struggling in the wake of the death of her father. A woman who only ever puts her best face forward, Sarah’s struggles are kept tightly contained. More troubles are afoot though, beginning with a surprise present for her daughter, Mia, on her seventh Birthday. As they arrive home from school they find a white rabbit on the doorstep. Later Mia starts wearing a crudely designed pink bunny and becomes increasingly more difficult to converse with. Set in Australia and revolving around a single mother and a problematic child, Run Rabbit Run will obviously draw comparisons to Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. The two films certainly share some similarities, but there are enough differences to warrant them existing alongside one another.
Sarah isn’t alone in her parenting journey. She co-parents with her ex, Pete, who has now remarried and lives with his new wife and her son. This situation is only a small aspect of Run Rabbit Run, and yet it is refreshing to see such a modern family unity represented on-screen. Especially when it is shown to be working. As Sarah unravels, friction is introduced into the unit, but this is more of a background element.
The full focus of Run Rabbit Run is on Sarah. Yes, Mia’s strange behaviour is a cause for concern, but it is Sarah that is the more interesting subject. Instead of spending too much time exploring Mia’s peculiarities, and making her into a trope-heavy ‘creepy kid’, Reid opts to investigate Sarah’s psyche. Looking at the way in which Mia’s actions affect Sarah, is the more compelling narrative. Whilst her decline is exaggerated for the purpose of the story, the impact of Mia’s shift in personality reflects the real toll that children can take on their parents’ mental health. In Run Rabbit Run Mia’s behaviour triggers memories of Sarah’s past and pushes the story into some dark and upsetting places.
Run Rabbit Run does unfortunately venture down a well-trodden path; it quickly becomes obvious where the plot is headed. This knowledge doesn’t detract from the entertainment, primarily because Sarah Snook does fantastic work to distract the viewer. Snook is always great to watch on screen and here she gives a compelling and convincing portrayal of a woman on the edge. Although not the most original, Run Rabbit Run presents a solid story with a great central turn from Sarah Snook.
Run Rabbit Run
Summary
Not The Babadook clone that the synopsis might hint at, Run Rabbit Run has its own identity, but does still fall foul of being a tad too formulaic.
Run Rabbit Run was reviewed at Sundance Film Festival 2023.
