Bunny Rabbit // A Chattanooga Film Fest Review

Bunny Rabbit made its US debut at this year’s Chattanooga Film Fest and immediately burrowed its way into my psyche. This Australian post-climate collapse film left me feeling unsettled long after the credits rolled, and for all the right reasons. Independent filmmaking continues to be where some of the most exciting cinema is happening, and Bunny Rabbit is exactly why. Writer/director James Branson, alongside a talented crew, builds a dangerous world of survival that feels impossible to look away from. After watching, it’s no surprise the film took home the Cult Classic Award at this year’s festival. 

No Clean Hands

A young woman (Kate Wilson) has been surviving alone and making things work in this new post-apocalyptic landscape. Even when it feels like we know where the story is headed, the movie still manages to take an interesting turn. Survival has never really been about keeping your hands clean, but there’s always a line somewhere. The question is how much of yourself you’re willing to give up to make it to the next day. That’s where Bunny Rabbit starts to dig in. 

Kate Wilson shines in the lead as she navigates this hellish landscape. Outside of a couple of scenes, her gender never really becomes the focus, and I think the movie is better for it. Instead, she gets to just be a survivor. We watch her go from someone who depended on their father to someone who figures out how to stand on their own. By the end, there’s a fierce confidence to her. She’s a quiet, yet powerful force.

I will say that while I’m over here singing Kate Wilson’s praises, Ôntrei also gives an incredible performance as the intruder who crosses paths with her on the homestead. His character comes from a time when he remembers what happiness looked like before everything fell apart. However, now he’s stuck trying to survive in whatever this place has become. That means playing by a different set of rules. Ôntrei plays the role with enough humanity that, against my better judgment, I found myself forgiving more than a few of his trespasses.

Bleak, Brutal, Brilliant

Bunny Rabbit is an easy recommendation if post-apocalyptic movies are your thing. It’s another reminder that Australian cinema keeps showing up and showing off. And duh, now you know why. What got me most was the constant feeling of unease. One of my favorite things horror can do is leave me carrying that anxiety long after the moment passes. This movie absolutely understood the assignment. Surviving after humanity has completely torched its own future is bleak enough. Realizing you also have to survive the people left behind? Exhausting! Horrifying! Exactly my kind of movie. And Bunny Rabbit delivers on that front one hundred percent.