Last year, Oscar nominee Dev Patel made his directorial debut with Monkey Man, a frantic and brutal martial arts epic that was showered with praise and showed he has more tools in his repertoire than just acting. Before he goes back behind the camera for his next film, The Peasant, however, he's heading out to the woods to help with what will be another creator's first theatrical feature. Patel is starring in the new British psychological horror Rabbit Trap from promising young director Bryn Chainey, which uses sound against its viewers to create an unsettling atmosphere in the remote woods of 1973 Wales. As part of Collider's Exclusive Preview event for upcoming movies, we're excited to share a new image that teases the secrets of the film, placing the Slumdog Millionaire star in what appears to be a dank cave with a strange structure he uncovered.
Rabbit Trap is both written and directed by Chainey, who previously formulated his nature-tinged style through his short films like the comedic Kill Your Dinner and the darkly folkloric fantasy drama Moritz and the Woodwose. His first feature centers on musician Darcy Davenport (Patel) and his wife, Daphne, played by Blue Jean star Rosy McEwen, who move into a remote home in the Welsh wilderness. When they begin making music incorporating the sounds of the surrounding wilderness, the local ancient folk magic is disturbed, leading a mysterious, nameless child (Jade Croot) to their doorstep. The kid seems determined to infiltrate their lives with more sinister intentions once they let her in.
Beyond psychological horror, Chainey's film will delve into mystery elements as the Davenports, particularly Darcy, explore the woods surrounding their new home and discover that there is much more to the land they inhabit. That's also where sound comes in, as the couple inadvertently records something that has never been heard by human ears before. It promises a slow descent into fantasy for the musicians, steeped in Celtic folklore involving fairies that unteathers them from reality. For Patel, this will be his first real foray into the horror genre, though he does have some experience with folklore from A24's The Green Knight.
Chainey's 'Rabbit Trap' First Sprang at Sundance
Helping to make Rabbit Trap a reality was a starry production team, including Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s SpectreVision banner. Through his production company, the Lord of the Rings star has been behind past creative horror flicks like Mandy and Color Out of Space that would go on to become beloved hits. Bankside Films is also attached to the film. The team brought Chainey's debut feature to Sundance earlier this year, where it earned mixed reviews but showcased the potential the director brings to the table. In his 6/10 review, Collider's Ross Bonaime believed it "feels more like a promising introduction to Chainey" that, at the very least, brings together interesting ideas on-screen. At a brisk runtime of 88 minutes, Rabbit Trap aims to carve out a space for itself and its newcomer director in a year that has been packed with brilliant horror titles from Sinners to 28 Years Later.
Rabbit Trap premieres in theaters on September 12. Check out our exclusive image in the gallery above and stay tuned here at Collider for more from our exclusive preview series for the coming weeks.
- Release Date
- January 24, 2025
- Runtime
- 97 Minutes
- Director
- Bryn Chainey
- Writers
- Bryn Chainey
- Producers
- Daniel Noah, Elijah Wood, Adrian Politowski, Lawrence Inglee, Nadia Khamlichi, Dev Patel, Elisa Lleras, Martin Metz, Alex Ashworth, Sean Marley, Stephen Kelliher, Sierra Garcia, Kyle Stroud, Sophie Green, Nessa McGill
