Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Run Rabbit’ Run’ is a horror thriller film about Sarah, a single mother who lives with her daughter, Mia. However, the mother-daughter relationship takes a dark turn when Mia claims she is Alice, Sarah’s deceased sister. Consequently, Sarah is forced to relive a traumatic incident from her past, which leads to some truly dark and unsettling moments exploring the monstrosity within a mother. However, to keep its tense atmosphere and involve viewers in the story’s psychological thriller aspects, the movie reveals little about Sarah’s relationship with Alice. As a result, viewers must be curious to learn why Sarah killed Alice. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Sarah Is Responsible For Alice’s Death
‘Run Rabbit Run’ tells the story of a troubled mother and daughter, Sarah and Mia. In the movie, viewers learn that Sarah is divorced from her husband, Peter, and lives alone with their daughter, Mia, an only child, in a suburb of South Australia. On the eve of her seventh birthday, Mia finds a rabbit and insists on adopting it, to which Sarah reluctantly agrees. However, it becomes evident that Mia and Sarah are troubled by something inexplicable, slowly consuming their lives. As the narrative progresses, Mia claims that she is Alice, Sarah’s long-lost sister who died years ago when Sarah was only a child. The big twist comes during the movie’s climax when viewers learn that Sarah is responsible for Alice’s death.
During the final act, viewers learn that Sarah and Alice did not share a good relationship as kids. While Alice liked caring for stray animals, Sarah was emotionally distant and disliked animals. It is implied that Alice tried to have a good relationship with her sister, but Sarah could not accept her. The unacceptance and uneasiness between the sisters are showcased through a brief scene when Sarah imagines Alice attacking her after she opens the barn behind her childhood house. Eventually, Sarah hit Alice in the head with a rabbit trap and pushed her down a cliff, causing Alice’s death. However, the movie does not delve deeper into the reason behind Sarah’s murderous actions.
In the film, viewers learn that Sarah is estranged from her mother, Joan. However, she is said to have been close to her father. Sarah and Alice likely fought for their parents’ affection when they were younger. The same is evident through the carefully constructed reality in which Sarah is raising Mia. Although the movie does not shed light on Sarah’s upbringing, we are told she went through a traumatic experience during her childhood. In the opening moments, we also see Sarah reacting poorly to the news of Peter having a baby with his new wife, Denise. Sarah wants Mia to be the only child, foreshadowing the twist of her poor relationship with her own sister.
Given Sarah’s psychological state and the little details we get about her past, sibling rivalry is the most obvious explanation for Sarah killing Alice. However, Alice’s death is shown only from Sarah’s perspective, making the incident look like a cold-blood murder. It is likely that Sarah’s guilt over her sister’s death and the resulting trauma has rendered her poor recollection of events. While the actual incident might have been an accident, the movie digs deep into Sarah’s psychology by framing Alice’s death as cold-blooded murder, making the reason behind it all the more shocking and heinous.
