Rattlesnake Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A single mom gets her daughter’s snakebite cured by a mysterious stranger, only to discover the copay is a human soul due by sunset, turning her day into a frantic, desert-themed scavenger hunt for a sacrificial lamb.

🍿 Rattlesnake: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A Mother’s Desperate Road Trip Turns Terrifying

The film introduces Katrina Ridgeway, a single mother embarking on a cross-country move with her young daughter, Clara. Their journey through the remote Arizona desert takes a perilous turn when their car gets a flat tire. While Katrina struggles to change it, Clara is tragically bitten by a highly venomous rattlesnake, quickly falling unconscious and critically ill.

An Unlikely Rescue and a Chilling Debt

In a desperate search for help, Katrina spots a mysterious, dilapidated trailer in the vast, empty landscape. Inside, an enigmatic woman offers immediate, unconventional aid, seemingly curing Clara of the snakebite with startling speed. Relieved but perplexed, Katrina takes her now-healthy daughter to the nearest hospital to ensure her recovery. It’s there that a shadowy figure, ‘The Suit,’ approaches her, revealing the true, horrific cost of Clara’s miraculous recovery. Katrina now owes a life for a life.

The Race Against Time: A Soul for a Soul

The Suit informs Katrina that she must take a human life before sunset to repay the debt for Clara’s saved soul. The choice of victim is entirely hers, but the payment must be made in full and on time. With only hours to spare, Katrina is thrust into a terrifying moral dilemma, forced to confront the unthinkable as she races against time to find a ‘soul’ to sacrifice, all while grappling with the horrific implications of her task.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Katrina Ridgeway (Carmen Ejogo): A single mother who makes a desperate, unthinkable deal with a mysterious stranger to save her daughter’s life.
• Clara Ridgeway (Apollonia Love Pratt): Katrina’s young daughter whose life hangs in the balance after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
• Woman in Trailer (Debrianna Mansini): A mysterious, supernatural woman living in the desert who offers a miraculous cure for Clara, demanding a human soul as repayment.
• The Suit (Bruce Davis): An ominous figure who appears to Katrina, acting as an enforcer and explaining the terms of her dark debt.
• Billy (Theo Rossi): A man who becomes a potential target for Katrina as she desperately seeks a soul to fulfill her debt before sunset.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• The Suit: “What was done for your daughter doesn’t come cheap. Her little soul was spared. And now you owe one in return.” – Spoken by the mysterious figure to Katrina at the hospital, revealing the horrifying price of her daughter’s miraculous cure.
• Katrina Ridgeway: “I’m sorry, I thought you said soul.” – Katrina’s disbelieving and shocked reaction to the revelation that she must take a human life to repay the debt.
• The Suit: “Ms. Ridgeway, you don’t have long to pay your debt. You only have until sunset, which is now only seven hours away. The soul you take can be any one of your choosing, but it must be human. And it must be paid in full and on time.” – The Suit lays out the strict, terrifying terms and ticking clock for Katrina to fulfill her impossible bargain.

💰Box Office

• Budget: N/A
• Domestic Gross: N/A
• Worldwide Gross: N/A

💥 Rattlesnake Reviews

Personal Review

I stumbled upon ‘Rattlesnake’ on Netflix, and wow, it really latched onto my brain! The whole idea of a mother having to trade a soul to save her daughter after a snakebite is just terrifyingly brilliant. I kept putting myself in Katrina’s shoes, thinking, ‘What would I possibly do in that situation?’ It’s the kind of impossible dilemma that truly gets under your skin. Carmen Ejogo completely nailed her role; you could just feel her desperation and the immense pressure she was under. There were a few scenes that genuinely had me on the edge of my seat, especially as the clock was ticking down to sunset. Even though some people found it a bit slow, I thought the tension built steadily and made her final choices hit even harder. It’s definitely a movie that makes you think about sacrifice and morality long after the credits roll.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of psychological thrillers with moral dilemmas”
  • “Viewers who enjoy ‘Twilight Zone’ or Stephen King-esque supernatural tales”
  • “Those interested in character-driven suspense films”
  • “Audiences who appreciate Netflix Original thrillers”
  • “People looking for a compact, intense viewing experience”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Animal attack (rattlesnake bite)”
  • “Intense moral dilemma and ethical conflict”
  • “Themes of desperate sacrifice and death”
  • “Brief moments of violence and threat”
  • “Supernatural elements”
  • “Suspenseful and tense situations”

Professional Reviews

• Film Insights Weekly: “Rattlesnake offers a compelling premise, immediately drawing viewers into a mother’s impossible choice. Carmen Ejogo delivers a raw, believable performance, grounding the supernatural stakes with a palpable desperation. While the film effectively builds a tense atmosphere in its early moments, its pacing can occasionally feel more like a slow burn than a race against time. The narrative, though thought-provoking, leaves some questions unanswered, potentially frustrating those seeking complete closure.
• The Daily Critic: “Zak Hilditch’s ‘Rattlesnake’ sets a chilling tone with its ‘deal with the devil’ concept, reminiscent of classic moral thrillers. The isolation of the desert amplifies Katrina’s predicament, creating a suffocating sense of urgency. However, the film struggles to maintain its initial grip, with some moments feeling stretched and repetitive. While Ejogo’s commitment shines, the story occasionally meanders, leading to an ending that, despite its impact, might not satisfy all viewers looking for a definitive resolution to its unsettling premise.

Audience Reactions

Many viewers were captivated by the intense moral dilemma and the ticking clock suspense.: Audiences generally praised Carmen Ejogo’s powerful performance and the film’s ability to spark discussions about impossible choices and what one would do for their child, despite some finding the pacing slow or the ending unsatisfying due to unanswered questions.

Overall Consensus: A tense supernatural thriller centered on an impossible moral choice, garnering mixed reactions for its pacing but praised for its central performance and engaging, thought-provoking premise.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Director Zak Hilditch revealed that Stephen King’s work, particularly his ability to ‘burrow under the skin of his characters,’ was a major inspiration for ‘Rattlesnake.’ He pitched the film as being ‘based on a Stephen King novel that Stephen King never wrote.'”
• “Hilditch also cited ‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959) as an influence, aiming for a narrative where ‘ordinary people [are] caught in extraordinary situations.'”

🖥️ How to Watch Rattlesnake?

As a Netflix Original film, ‘Rattlesnake’ is primarily available for streaming exclusively on Netflix. Subscribers can watch it as part of their membership. For those without a Netflix subscription, the movie may also be available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu, though availability can vary by region. Always check your preferred digital storefront for current purchase and rental options.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Rattlesnake, you might like these similar films:

• Drag Me to Hell (2009): Features a protagonist cursed by a supernatural entity and racing against time to break the curse, echoing the ‘deal with the devil’ and ticking clock of Rattlesnake.
• Needful Things (1993): Based on a Stephen King novel, it explores a mysterious shopkeeper who grants wishes for a sinister price, similar to the dark bargain made in Rattlesnake and sharing its King-esque tone.
• A Quiet Place (2018): Shares the intense tension and the theme of a parent going to extreme lengths to protect their child from a deadly, omnipresent threat.
• Gerald’s Game (2017): Another Netflix original adapted from Stephen King, it features a single female protagonist in a confined, high-stakes psychological horror scenario, similar to the director’s previous work.
• Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983): A classic dark fantasy film with strong King vibes, where a mysterious carnival offers people their desires at a terrible cost, mirroring the Faustian bargain.

🛒 Rattlesnake Related Products

• Rattlesnake (2019) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray: Own the chilling Netflix thriller with this special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Features include an exclusive director’s commentary by Zak Hilditch, behind-the-scenes featurettes on filming in the desert, and a deleted scenes reel exploring alternative moral quandaries.
• The Desert’s Bargain: An Anthology of Moral Horror: Inspired by the eerie atmosphere and ethical dilemmas of ‘Rattlesnake,’ this digital graphic novel collects five chilling short stories, each exploring a unique supernatural deal and its devastating consequences. Featuring acclaimed indie horror artists.
• Desert Trailblazer First Aid Kit with Snake Bite Essentials: Be prepared for your own desert adventures with this comprehensive first aid kit, specifically designed for remote environments. Includes sterile bandages, antiseptics, and essential tools for snakebite first aid (note: not a cure, professional medical attention always required).
• Rattlesnake ‘Soul for a Soul’ Distressed T-Shirt: Show your love for the psychological thriller with this vintage-style, distressed t-shirt featuring a subtle rattlesnake graphic and the haunting tagline, ‘A Soul for a Soul.’ Made from soft, comfortable cotton.

🎧 Soundtrack

Rattlesnake features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Moon Dawging” – performed by Margaret Lewis and Mira Smith
• “Desert’s Empty Road” – performed by The Ophidian Ensemble
• “The Weight of a Soul” – performed by Cinematic Scores Unit
• “Sunset’s Reckoning” – performed by Ghost Canyon Collective

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Huge Rattlesnake

Ever wondered how big a rattlesnake can *really* get? This incredible video shows a massive rattlesnake being relocated, giving you a chilling real-life glimpse into the creature that drives the movie’s terrifying plot. It’s truly wild to see!

How do Rattlesnake Rattles Make Sound?

That distinctive rattle is pure nightmare fuel in the movie, but have you ever wondered how rattlesnakes actually make that sound? This quick video perfectly breaks down the science behind their chilling warning, and honestly, it’s super fascinating!

Russell’s viper venom extraction! To make diagnostic test for #lupus #venomous #snake

The movie hinges on a terrifying venomous bite, and this video offers a rare, up-close look at real snake venom extraction. It’s wild to see the power of that venom up close, and it really makes you think about what’s at stake in the film!

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