Dev Patel’s New Psychological Thriller Arrives on VOD: A Sonic, Surreal Descent into Welsh Folklore
The unconventional folk horror film Rabbit Trap has officially transitioned from its limited theatrical run to VOD today. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Bryn Chainey, the movie is a challenging, art-house blend of horror, psychological thriller, and experimental sound design that has captivated and confounded critics since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Plot: A Mystical Sound and a Mysterious Child
Set in the remote Welsh countryside in 1973, the film follows married musician Daphne (Rosy McEwen) and Darcy Davenport (Oscar-nominated Dev Patel) who have retreated from London to work on their experimental electronic music album. Darcy, a sound engineer, unintentionally records a mystical, unidentifiable frequency in the woods near an ancient “fairy circle” (known in Welsh folklore as tylwyth teg).
This discovery coincides with the appearance of a nameless, unsettling child (played by Jade Croot) who slowly but surely ingratiates himself into the couple’s isolated life. The child’s presence acts as a catalyst, exploiting the couple’s deepest vulnerabilities, particularly Darcy’s unresolved childhood trauma and his resistance to starting a family. The film’s title refers not just to the dead rabbits the boy brings, but to the mental snares Darcy is caught in.
A Masterclass in Sonic Horror
The unique selling point of Rabbit Trap is its commitment to sound. Director Chainey wanted to explore horror through what is heard rather than what is seen. Composer Lucrecia Dalt and the sound designers weave an experimental score that blends electro-psychedelic murmurs with natural, ambient sounds. Reviewers have highlighted the film’s “ASMR-driven” atmosphere, which creates a sense of dread that is both transcendent and genuinely unnerving. In one particularly trippy sequence, visual spectrogram waves of sound distort the screen, making the terror palpable.
While some critics found the plot intentionally muddled and frustratingly opaque, nearly all agree that the film is visually stunning and features powerful performances from Patel and McEwen, who successfully ground the abstract terror in real marital tension.
Rabbit Trap is now available to rent or buy on major VOD platforms.
