🎯 Quick Overview
Trailer
- Director: Daina Reid
- Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Drama
- Release year: 2023
- Runtime (length): 1h 40min
- IMDb rating: 5.0/10 (14k votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 17%
😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained
Mom’s having a midlife crisis, her daughter’s playing dress-up, and a rabbit’s just trying to live its best life, all while repressed trauma does the cha-cha in the background.
🍿 Run Rabbit Run: Detailed Plot Synopsis
Mia’s Seventh Birthday and the Arrival of the Rabbit
The movie begins with Sarah, a fertility doctor, celebrating her daughter Mia’s seventh birthday. A seemingly innocuous white rabbit appears at their house, immediately captivating Mia. However, Sarah finds the rabbit unsettling. The birthday celebration is shared with Peter, Mia’s father, his new partner Denise, and her son Toby. During the party, a minor incident occurs when Toby hits Mia, foreshadowing the escalating tension.

Strange Behavior and the Appearance of Alice
Following the birthday, Mia starts exhibiting peculiar behavior, becoming withdrawn and wearing a homemade rabbit mask. She claims to miss her grandmother, Joan, from whom Sarah is estranged, and insists on seeing her. Mia also begins to identify herself as ‘Alice,’ Sarah’s deceased younger sister, who disappeared years ago. These events trigger Sarah’s intense nightmares and hallucinations, all while a bite she received from the rabbit becomes increasingly infected.

Visiting Joan and Unraveling the Past
Driven by Mia’s insistence, Sarah takes her to visit Joan at her assisted living facility. Joan, suffering from dementia, mistakes Mia for Alice, further fueling Mia’s claims and intensifying Sarah’s distress. Sarah discovers disturbing drawings on Mia’s schoolwork that mirror her own repressed memories. At Peter’s suggestion, Sarah takes Mia to her childhood home, where she finally reveals the truth about Alice’s disappearance.

Confronting the Truth and Hallucinations
Sarah recounts her childhood memory of Alice’s death, revealing that she was responsible. During a hallucination, she relives the events: locking Alice in a shed, a struggle, and ultimately pushing her off a cliff. Peter arrives, and they search for Mia amidst Sarah’s deteriorating mental state and vivid hallucinations about Alice’s drowning. The movie builds to a climactic and ambiguous ending where Sarah confronts the consequences of her actions.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained
🎬 Cast & Characters
- Sarah (Sarah Snook): A fertility doctor haunted by her past who must confront the increasingly strange behavior of her daughter.
- Mia (Lily LaTorre): Sarah’s young daughter who begins to exhibit strange behavior, claiming to be Sarah’s deceased sister Alice.
- Joan (Greta Scacchi): Sarah’s estranged mother with dementia, who believes Mia is her long-lost daughter Alice.
- Peter (Damon Herriman): Sarah’s ex-husband and Mia’s father, who tries to help Sarah cope with Mia’s disturbing behavior.
- Alice (Poppy Skerry): Sarah’s deceased younger sister whose disappearance continues to haunt Sarah and seemingly influence Mia’s behavior.
💬 Memorable Quotes
- Mia: “I miss her. I miss people I don’t even know.” – Mia expresses a longing for her grandmother, Joan, whom she has never met, hinting at a connection to the past.
- Joan: “Alice?” – Joan, suffering from dementia, mistakes Mia for Sarah’s long-missing sister, Alice, igniting Sarah’s buried trauma.
- Mia: “I’m Alice.” – Mia embraces the identity of Alice, further disturbing Sarah and blurring the lines between reality and delusion.
- Mia: “You’re a monster.” – Mia confronts Sarah with the truth of her actions and the darkness within her.
💰Box Office
- Budget: N/A
- Domestic Gross: N/A
- Worldwide Gross: $457,997
💥 Run Rabbit Run Reviews
Personal Review
Okay, so I went into this expecting a jump-scare fest, but it’s way more of a slow burn. Sarah Snook is amazing as the mom, Sarah, and you really feel her anxiety as things get weirder with her daughter, Mia. I was hooked from the moment Mia started wearing that rabbit mask – seriously creepy! The ending left me with so many questions, and honestly, that’s what I loved about it. Definitely a movie to discuss with friends afterward.
- Who would enjoy:
- “Fans of psychological thrillers”
- “Viewers interested in films exploring trauma and guilt”
- “Those who appreciate slow-burn, atmospheric horror movies”
- “Sarah Snook fans”
- Content warnings ⚠:
- “Depictions of mental illness”
- “Child endangerment”
- “Hallucinations and disturbing imagery”
- “Grief and trauma”
- “Mild violence”
Professional Reviews
- Variety: “Sarah Snook delivers a compelling performance as a mother grappling with a daughter’s strange behavior and a dark family history. While the film’s pacing is deliberate, its atmosphere of dread and unanswered questions creates a haunting experience. Not for those seeking jump scares, but rewarding for fans of psychological thrillers.
- The Hollywood Reporter: “Daina Reid’s ‘Run Rabbit Run’ boasts striking visuals and a committed performance from Sarah Snook, but the narrative feels underdeveloped and ultimately unsatisfying. The film explores themes of guilt and trauma, but its ambiguity can be frustrating for viewers seeking a clear resolution.
- IGN: “‘Run Rabbit Run’ is an unsettling psychological thriller that relies on atmosphere and strong performances rather than overt scares. The film’s exploration of motherhood and family secrets is intriguing, but its slow pace and ambiguous ending may not appeal to all viewers.
Audience Reactions
Sarah Snook’s performance was phenomenal and really made the movie.: The movie’s atmospheric tension and unsettling tone were praised.
The film made me think about the complexities of family and guilt.: The movie’s themes were deep and thought-provoking.
Overall Consensus: A psychological thriller with a strong lead performance and an eerie atmosphere, but may frustrate some with its slow pace and ambiguous ending.
Awards
🛠️ Behind the Scenes
- “Elisabeth Moss was originally cast in the lead role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, leading to Sarah Snook’s casting.”
- “The film was shot in the Riverland region of South Australia, utilizing the natural landscape to enhance the sense of isolation and dread.”
🖥️ How to Watch Run Rabbit Run?
Run Rabbit Run is currently streaming on Netflix. As a Netflix original, it is exclusively available on their platform. Unfortunately, it is not available for purchase or rental on platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, or Google Play.

🎥 Similar Movies
If you enjoyed Run Rabbit Run, you might like these similar films:
- The Babadook (2014): Explores the psychological toll of repressed trauma and the blurring of reality and delusion within a mother-child relationship.
- Relic (2020): Deals with intergenerational trauma, dementia, and the disintegration of family relationships within a haunted house setting.
- Hereditary (2018): Delves into themes of family secrets, inherited trauma, and the breakdown of a family under the influence of dark forces.
🛒 Run Rabbit Run Related Products
- Rabbit Mask: An eerie rabbit mask inspired by the movie, perfect for cosplay or adding a touch of unsettling decor to any room.
- The Babadook (Special Edition): Stream the acclaimed psychological horror film ‘The Babadook,’ a key influence on ‘Run Rabbit Run’. Explore themes of motherhood, grief, and the supernatural in this haunting cinematic experience.
- Trauma Therapy Workbook: Overcoming Psychological Trauma: A workbook that helps viewers reflect on and process the themes explored in Run Rabbit Run
- Alice in Wonderland: 150th Anniversary Edition: A beautifully designed, cloth-bound edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, exploring themes of identity, madness, and the blurred line between reality and imagination.
🎧 Soundtrack
Run Rabbit Run features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:
- “Cello Chi for Cello and Voice” – performed by Sarah Hopkins
- “Tension Build” – performed by Various Artists
- “Haunting Melody” – performed by Various Artists
You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.
🤨 FAQ
Run Rabbit Run is a psychological thriller about Sarah, a fertility doctor, whose past trauma resurfaces when her daughter, Mia, begins exhibiting strange behavior and claiming to be Sarah’s deceased sister, Alice.
While Run Rabbit Run has elements of horror, it is primarily a psychological thriller. It focuses on building suspense and exploring the characters’ internal struggles rather than relying on jump scares or gore.
The rabbit in Run Rabbit Run is symbolic of Alice and Sarah’s repressed past. Alice loved animals, especially rabbits, while Sarah was involved in hunting them. The rabbit’s appearance triggers Sarah’s guilt and sets off the chain of events that leads to her mental breakdown.
Alice died after being pushed off a cliff by her sister, Sarah, during a childhood altercation. Sarah covered up the crime by telling their parents that Alice had run away.
The ending of Run Rabbit Run is ambiguous, leaving it open to interpretation whether Mia dies. The film implies that Sarah may have harmed Mia, but the viewer is never shown definitive proof.
🔥 Bonus Content
The Daughter With The Rabbit Mask #shorts
Curious about ‘Run Rabbit Run’ but don’t have time for a full review? This one-minute short gives you the gist of the movie, highlighting Sarah Snook’s performance and the creepy plot. It’s a great way to see if this psychological thriller is your cup of tea!
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