I heard nothing about this movie before seeing it recommended on Tubi. It was a good rec. I like Dev Patel. I like folk horror. So, why wouldn’t I like this movie? The trailer piqued my interest so I watched it. Now I’m writing about it! Let’s get into it, shall we?
A couple who recently moved to rural Wales tries to focus on their respective crafts. For Darcy, that means wandering the Welsh countryside with a mic trying to capture new or interesting sounds. For Daphne, it means using those sounds and her spoken word poetry to create something akin to music. That’s not supposed to be a dig. It’s very outre noise art type stuff. While Darcy is out one day he steps into a circle of mushrooms (a fairy ring) and has some sort of episode. Soon, they are visited by a child who claims to live nearby. The child is a welcome distraction asking Daphne about her work and going along with the man to record sounds. The child tells them of the Tylwyth Teg – Welsh fairies. Could this strange child be harboring a dark secret?
Dev Patel should be in everything. He’s such a good actor and brings so much likeability to his roles. Even for this character who is not particularly likable. He and Daphne are happy enough in their own little bubble but I’m guessing that they’d be insufferable to anyone else. Pretentious noise artists who moved to the countryside to get away from distractions doesn’t scream “we are personable and genuine”. But we’re drawn in to their story with glimpses of sweetness and playfulness between them. And Darcy has a traumatic history that is hinted at, giving him more depth. The child though… whoa! Jade Croot absolutely delivers an outstanding performance. The child is mysterious, androgynous, and nameless. A fact that the couple comments on but never seems to pursue answers. And that puts us on edge. They are drawn to this child and vice versa. It puts the audience on edge in a way that we horror fans relish. By the time the central conflict reaches a fever pitch, our nerves are already shot. We know something is not right all the way until we’re pushed over the edge into full blown panic. This is folk horror at its finest.
The Final Cut: Outstanding performances, slowly ratcheting tension, and an intense finale put Rabbit Trap among the folk horror greats.
