Rabbit Trap Review: Nature’s Silence and Acoustic Fear Out of Sync

Imagine a microphone that could record not just sounds, but your deepest fears and secrets. That’s exactly how Rabbit Trap feels — as if nature itself is whispering truths we’re not meant to hear.

Here’s our version of the Rabbit Trap review — a haunting journey through sound, silence, and the secrets of the wild.

Plot details of Rabbit Trap (2025)

Rabbit Trap is set in 1976, where Darcy (played by Dev Patel) and Daphne (Rosy McEwen), a young musician couple, move to a remote wilderness in Wales. They decide to pursue their music career in calm surroundings, while also trying to have a baby.​

Darcy is a sound engineer, and Daphne is an experimental musician. Darcy captures sounds of nature, but one day, he accidentally captures something that he is not meant to hear.

Afterwards, a teenage girl (Jade Croot) comes to their home and clings to them. Terrifying things begin to happen that blur the line between reality and myth.

Have a look at the trailer:​

Actors’ performances in Rabbit Trap (2025)

​Dev Patel as Darcy and Rosy McEwen as Daphne both deliver pleasing performances. However, it’s Jade Croot, as the Child, who truly stands out. It almost feels like a rule of cinema that the villainous character inevitably steals the spotlight from everyone else.​

Croot’s Child became obsessed with the couple who were also desperately wanting to have a baby but weren’t able to have one. The Child also wanted to have a sense of belonging, for which she wanted to become a part of Darcy and Daphne’s family.​

Patel’s Darcy was scared and running from his own past that haunted him in the form of his father’s nightmares. Daphne exhibited mother-like traits, which the Child loved and therefore wanted to be close to her.

It was a relationship triangle from which the three of them could not remove themselves, and eventually, had to accept it at the end. The Child didn’t seem to be a malevolent creature- it somehow wanted to bring them closer, appearing to be a child of nature.

Since the story is heavily based on Welsh folklore, Tylwyth Teg has a major role to play in the plot. While capturing sounds of nature one day, Darcy accidentally stepped inside a faerie circle, resulting in the awakening of Tylwyth Teg’s spirit.

The supernatural being, the Child, started following him and telling him that she is a hunter. She explained that she liked to hunt rabbits, set a trap for them, and offer them something that they are yearning for.

In reality, the Child was revealing his own targets, Darcy and Daphne, who were looking for a child. However, the Child told Daphne that Darcy must let go of his disturbing past.​

The complex storyline drew out the intricate details and depth in their performances.

What do critics add to Rabbit Trap review?

There are very scarce reviews present for Rabbit Trap on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Still, the crux of the review indicates that the film did not have much substance and complicated questions that should have given the audience an “aha” moment.

Relying heavily on the magical realm, the critics believed that the emotional terror was absent. The film became “too speculative,” and even if one wants to immerse themselves in the film, the ASMR and storytelling put one to deep sleep. 

Similarly, The Guardian reviewed it as:

“After being urged to listen closer, to try and hear for something more, we’re left with nothing. It’s a trap we can easily wriggle out of.” [Source] ​

Fans’ reaction

The same goes for the general audience. The trailer simply wasn’t engaging enough to attract attention — fewer than 50 reviews suggest that the film failed to generate much buzz.​

Those who are talking about it suggest that it should have been a short film instead, as the pacing was slow and 20-30 minutes of the film were entirely unavailing. The third act pulled the movie down with the room full of cheap props, the fans thought.

Though a slow-burn, the audience found it “frustrating” and “dry,” which made it fall apart at the end.​

Is it worth watching?​

Dev Patel has never appeared in a horror film before, and for that reason alone, it might be worth a watch. Beyond that, however, the film lacks any strong appeal that could truly draw in the audience.

Dev Patel gained fame through his breakthrough performance in Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which later gave him the confidence to enter the world of direction with Monkey Man (2024).​

The debut director, Bryn Chainey, wanted to capitalize on Welsh folklore as he was mesmerized by fairies and goblins. Initially, Rabbit Trap was meant to be a short film, but when he re-watched it, he wanted to dig deeper.

Folklore has become popular in the horror genre lately, as masterpieces like The Witch (2015) and Midsommar (2019) have broken records. Rabbit Trap might have been complex and heavy for some to understand, and it is possible that a large number of people have not agreed to watch it as yet.

After having watched it myself, I cannot find anything unforgettable, which makes it a true trap. But keeping in mind that it was Chainey’s debut directorial attempt, he has kept us guessing till the end.

An atmospheric ghost story with eerie sounds and suggestive imagery might be mood-altering, but it doesn’t give you the punch that you might have been looking for, or come back to later to rewatch it.  

What we liked

• Dev Patel’s first horror performance
• Jade Croot’s standout portrayal
• Atmospheric cinematography
• Folklore-inspired storytelling
• Strong thematic undertones like parenthood, longing, and trauma

What could be better

• Pacing issues
• Weak narrative focus
• Lack of emotional impact
• Underwhelming trailer and buzz
• Unmemorable execution

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our rating for Rabbit Trap (2025)

Story/plot	3/10
Characters and acting	6/10
Direction and pacing	5/10
Visuals and cinematography	5/10
Soundtrack/score	7/10
Themes and message	3/10
Emotional impact	2/10
Creativity/originality	2/10
Rewatchability	1/10

Our rating: 2/10

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Is Rabbit Trap (2025) available for online streaming?

Yes, Rabbit Trap (2025) is available for online streaming through various platforms like Prime Video, Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Genre: Folk horror, suspense, mystery, thriller

IMDb rating: 4.8

Rotten Tomatoes: 42 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ rating) and none on Popcornmeter due to fewer than 50 ratings at the moment

Cast: Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen, Jade Croot

Director: Bryn Chainey

Writer: Bryn Chainey

Producers: Lawrence Inglee, Daniel Noah, Elijah Wood, Elisa Lleras, Alex Ashworth, Sean Marley, Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz

Release date: September 12, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

Would you recommend Rabbit Trap to horror fans, or is it a film better left on the shelf? Give us your verdict.