Rabbit Trap (2025)
Director: Bryn Chainey
Writer: Bryn Chainey
Stars: Dev Patel, Rosy McEwen, Jade Croot
Plot: Set in 1976, the life of a married couple changes following their relocation to an isolated cabin in Wales. When the couple accidentally disturbs a Tylwyth Teg fairy ring, they are suddenly visited by a mysterious child who appears to have ill intentions for them.
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Rabbit Trap (2025) | Transcript
(birds chirping)
(faint electronic humming)
The Child: Your shadow has been gifted many names. Goblin, demon, faerie. It is your forgotten child. But nature will not abandon her children. She gifts them music heard only in dream. You can hear this music if you wish. But you must listen beyond fear, beyond understanding, beyond shame. Listen to the soil. Go down into the dark, and listen. For the Earth is a body, and the body is where your secrets live.
(distortion)
(wind blowing)
(birds chirping)
(birds continue chirping)
(birds chirping over tape)
(electronic whining)
(electronic music playing)
(electronic humming)
(music continues playing)
(music stops)
Balls.
Daphne: We’ve got to sort this power out.
It is a fucking nightmare.
Darcy: These old houses weren’t built with electricity in mind.
Maybe I can set up a backup generator.
Daphne: Uh… Yeah, but how noisy will that be?
Darcy: Good point.
I feel like every time I’m getting somewhere, that’s when the power decides to shit itself.
Darcy: How about yesterday?
You were recording for hours.
Yeah, but it was all rubbish.
Darcy: Oh.
Oh.
I’m a hack. (sighs) You are not a hack.
Maybe I should just go back to London for a few weeks, finish the record there.
Hey, I’ll sort it.
Daphne: Hmm.
I will.
Have you eaten?
No, no, I just…
I wanna work.
I know something that might cheer you up.
♪ (“Open Up Your Heart” by The Bishops plays) ♪
Daphne: Mmm.
(Daphne exclaims, chuckles)
(song quietens)
Daphne: Mmm.
(Daphne laughs)
(microphone warbling softly)
Darcy: What was it you said the other day about… eyes and ears?
With your eyes… you enter the world.
With your ears… the world enters you.
(song continues)
(floorboard creaking)
(footsteps approaching)
(breath trembling)
(Darcy gasping)
(breath trembling) No.
(mumbling)
(grunting)
(Darcy gasping over headphones)
(utensils clattering)
Here you go.
(gasps) Huh?
What are you listening to?
(switch clicks)
(water running)
You were having nightmares again.
(water stops)
Sorry.
Was it bad?
Yeah.
I think you should listen, Darce, it’s…
It’s awful.
(tape rewinds)
(rewinding stops)
Darcy: You recorded me?
Yeah.
Maybe if you heard yourself, you might remember something.
Why would I want to do that?
You want to use this on a track?
Is that what’s going on?
No.
Darcy: Because you can if you want.
Right. (sighs) It’s fine.
Don’t worry about it.
(door closes)
Are you okay?
Can you stop asking me if I’m okay?
It’s really boring.
Sorry.
Don’t you ever just want to dissolve?
Just melt into the earth?
(clicks)
(clanging)
(tape whirring, stops)
(clicks)
(metallic clanging over tape)
(water pattering)
(wind howling)
(screeching in distance)
(screeching echoes)
(warbling)
(distorted electronic warbling)
(warbling stops)
(warbling continues)
(warbling continues)
(warbling intensifies)
(static)
(bird calling in distance)
(electronic warbling playing on record) Darce, what is this?
(warbling intensifies)
(low electronic humming)
It’s sublime.
(humming continues)
(Daphne moans)
(Daphne breathing heavily)
(humming continues)
(humming fades)
Daphne: Darce?
Someone’s watching the house.
Sorry?
Daphne: Outside.
Someone’s there.
Who?
Daphne: I don’t know.
(electronic warbling playing on record)
(increases volume)
(electronic warbling, high-pitched humming) Who is this?
Who’s speaking?
Buried in the garden, beneath the blanket of sleep.
Listen.
Listen.
(garbling)
Noise… the oldest of gods.
Before language. Before flesh.
Before name.
She was here.
(electronic humming continues)
Your eyes are ears.
Your hands are ears.
Your sex is ears.
Who is this?
Who is speaking?
Hey! Hey!
Stop, hey. Stop, stop!
(gasps) Oh, my God, I’m sorry.
(pants) Are you okay?
Oh… Did I hurt you?
Sorry. Here, come on.
Um…
Why were you watching our house?
What’s your name?
Darcy.
How about you?
You said, “our house.”
Who else lives there?
Uh… My wife.
She’s called Daphne.
But you have no children.
No, no… Not yet.
I followed the music.
Oh, you could hear that?
The Child: Oh, yes.
Sound travels here.
Uh, I’m sorry about that.
We only moved in a few months ago, and didn’t think there was anyone for miles.
Three times you’ve apologized already.
(chuckles)
Um… Well, uh…
I’d best be off.
I’m… I’m really sorry about, you know…
I don’t know…
That’s four times.
Perhaps you thought I was a burglar coming to burgle you.
Uh…
Maybe I did.
You’re not, are you?
(chuckles) A burglar?
Darcy: Yeah.
No, never.
I’m a hunter.
Is that so?
Do you want to see?
Uh…
What… What do you mean?
I’ll show you. You’ll like it.
You’re not scared of me, are you?
(hesitates) No, it’s just, um…
(clicks tongue)
(sighs) I should be getting back. You know, so…
Strange apologetic man appears in the valley, rugby tackling innocent children at will.
If anything, I should be afraid of you, don’t you think?
Darcy: Do you actually catch rabbits with this?
If I’m lucky.
Or if they’re unlucky.
After you’ve caught them, then what?
I eat them, of course.
Don’t you catch your own food?
Show me how this trap of yours works.
If you want to trap a rabbit or any creature, you need to know what it’s hungry for.
And that’s what you offer.
As a gift.
And you have to mean it.
Then you just wait for the rabbit to be hungry and he traps himself.
See, the rabbit bounces along, diddly-diddly-dee… smells the bait, its tummy rumbles, it creeps onto here, but when he trips this lever…
The Child: They’re special because they move between worlds. But they live underground… in burrows… in warrens… in the dark places.
They come up and they go down with the sun… passing messages between here… and the underworld.
And if you catch a rabbit, you catch the message it’s carrying.
What do they say?
I’m not sure I should tell you.
I won’t tell anyone.
Well, the truth is, most rabbits say the same thing.
And what’s that?
(sniffing)
(chuckles)
It’s a lot of gobbledygook, really.
(laughs)
Sorry. Sorry, did we wake you?
Don’t worry about it.
This is one of our neighbors.
Came by with flowers and eggs this morning.
Isn’t that lovely?
Actually, me and Darcy are already friends.
Are you?
Oh, yes. We met yesterday.
We bumped into each other, didn’t we?
Oi, you didn’t tell me that.
I best be off.
Don’t want to be in the way.
Nonsense.
Come by anytime.
(soft music playing over gramophone) Trippy kid, huh.
He’s interesting.
And I think… lonely.
So, be nice.
I am nice.
I didn’t say you’re not nice.
Thank you.
Did you catch his name?
Daphne: Mmm…
No.
Damn!
I hate it when that happens.
I just want to see… what you’d look like…
(chuckles) …in 50 years.
Mmm… so handsome.
Yeah?
(laughs)
Darcy: Happy now?
Daphne: Mmm.
Okay.
(Daphne laughs) He wants me to take him field recording.
What kind of kid wants to do that?
Yeah, he, um, he thinks you’re cool.
Thinks I’m cool?
(laughs) He does. That’s why he wants you to teach him, so he can be around you.
You can be his cool… older friend or his… fun uncle.
Darcy: Mmm.
His funcle.
(chuckles) Yeah.
It might be good for you.
Mmm, maybe.
What is it?
What did I do?
I’m sorry, but I really need to fart.
Oh, no.
(water bubbles)
(chuckles) That’s impressive.
(laughs, shrieks)
(grunts)
Be careful.
Darcy: Yeah.
It’s slippery.
Are you hurt?
Nah, just my pride.
The Child: Is Daphne famous?
Darcy: What was that?
The Child: Daphne, is she famous?
Darcy: Can’t really be famous with her kind of music.
She’s more influential, I guess.
The Child: Influential…
I like that.
Darcy: Feed it through here, recording head, playback head here. Like that.
Around there, you pull that very tight.
Make sure it’s secure.
(clicks)
(bleating)
(Darcy imitates bleating)
(bleating)
Darcy: Go, go.
(Darcy grunts)
(The Child mumbles)
(both panting)
(imitates bleating) (laughs)
(Darcy whispers)
Higher, higher, higher.
The Child: What happens when a sound dies? Where does it go?
Darcy: I don’t think a sound is ever alive to begin with.
It’s the vibration of an event.
The invisible shadow… of an energy exchange.
(crunching)
Darcy: Sound is memory… carved into the air.
It’s a ghost… just a scared, lost creature…
(crackling)
Darcy: …desperate for somewhere to hide… if only for a moment, before it fades away.
And when you hear a sound, you become its home.
Your body… is the house it haunts.
(sloshing)
(gasps)
Darcy: Oh.
(laughs)
Darcy: Come here.
(laughs)
(sloshing over tape)
(The Child gasps, laughs over tape)
Darcy over tape: That sounded amazing.
(The Child chuckles over tape)
Darcy over tape: Very impressive. That was great.
(melancholic electronic hum)
(knocking)
(music distorts, stops)
Daphne: Hey.
Fucking hell.
(chuckles softly) I caught it for you, I did.
Best rabbit in the whole woods.
It’s yours now.
The Child: Oh.
I almost forgot.
Here.
I picked gorse blossom.
Is that from out front?
Yes.
You can make tea with it.
You’ll like it. That is delicious.
I knew you’d like it.
And it’s good for you.
Keeps away the Tylwyth Teg.
Darcy: The what?
The Tylwyth Teg.
They can’t stand the stuff.
That’s probably why there’s so much of it around your house.
Whoever lived here before must’ve had troubles with them. There’s too much though. You should burn it back.
I can help if you’d like.
Daphne: Is that a kind of animal?
No, they’re not animals.
They’re the old ones.
There aren’t many left, but they’re still around if you know where to look, if you know where to listen.
But not to worry.
If you stay out of their way, they’ll stay out of yours.
Probably.
Do you know a lot about local superstition?
I know about nature.
That’s all.
Sorry. Yeah, that’s… that’s what I meant.
Will you show us?
Why not?
The Child: There is a veil… between this world… and faerie. There are ways to cross this veil… to find the truth that lives there. Music… toadstools… love.
The Child: Come along.
Yeah, sorry.
The Child: If you let the faeries in, they will guide you… to the place you fear, to the family you need… home.
Darcy: I’ve seen one of these before.
I know I have.
Stop. Stop!
This is a faerie circle.
You mustn’t enter.
I had a brother… a long time ago.
He was a baby.
He crawled into a faerie circle.
After that, he grew faster than he should have.
He bloated up like a toad.
He did.
A few days later, he was gone.
Taken by the Tylwyth Teg.
What, you never saw him again?
No.
They took him forever.
To Annwn.
Daphne: What’s Annwn?
The deep.
You know, when we’re… very little, it’s… hard to understand… difficult things that happen to us. So… our brains create stories to… to make sense of them.
But they’re just stories.
And… we have to learn to… to let go of them.
I want to go back inside now.
This way.
The Child: That’s you.
Yeah.
Or a version of me.
The Child: No.
That’s the real you.
You’re beautiful.
Well, I used to dress like that during live shows.
Helps with the stage fright.
Not that I really do live shows anymore.
Decided it was time to stop touring for a while.
Put down some roots.
Get boring.
The Child: You’re one of the wild gods.
You must never be caught.
Never domesticated.
You’re too precious for that.
You think so? (chuckles)
The Child: You’re the most wonderful person I have ever met.
In my next life, I want to be you.
Why don’t you have children?
(sighs)
Are we supposed to?
The Child: Yes.
You don’t want to?
Daphne: Hold still.
Darcy is… tainted.
Why do you say that?
The Child: That’s what he believes.
Did he tell you that?
The Child: Just a feeling.
You’d make a wonderful mother.
I know you would.
Um… (scoffs) (tearfully) That’s a really nice thing to say.
It’s true, though.
Oh…
Sorry.
You can pretend to be my mam if you’d like.
(Daphne chuckles)
It can be our secret.
Daphne: Oh, yeah?
Wouldn’t your mom get jealous if I stole you away?
The Child: She died a long time ago, so she won’t mind.
She’d be happy.
Oh, I’m sorry.
It’s been so long that I don’t remember her face anymore.
But I still remember her voice.
There was a lullaby she sang when I was young.
You are young.
I’m much older on the inside.
Daphne: Yeah, I… (chuckles) Yeah, I suspect you might be.
Would you like to hear it?
The lullaby.
(singing in Welsh)
(singing continues)
(singing continues over tape)
(singing continues)
Darcy: Sounds like a spell.
(switches off tape recorder)
Daphne: So what if it is?
(switches on tape recorder)
(The Child singing in Welsh over recording)
(singing continues)
(song ends)
(floorboard creaking)
(Darcy breathing shakily)
(breath trembling)
I made you something.
(gasps softly)
(continuous knocking on door)
(speaks Welsh)
(in English) What time is it?
I picked these for you and Daphne.
You can put them by the bed.
Thanks.
Um, look, um, now is not a… a good time.
Could you come back later?
You said I was welcome anytime.
We… We did. But… it was a figure of speech.
So it doesn’t mean anything?
It just, um…
It just doesn’t mean exactly what it says.
So why bother saying it?
Tell Daphne I’m here.
She’ll want to see me, I know she would.
Daphne means what she says.
Daphne would love to see you, she would.
And so would I.
Just not right now. Okay?
Is that all right?
Before I go… could I have a glass of milk?
It was an awful long way here, and it’s an awful long way back.
The Child: You wasted it.
Oh, no.
I couldn’t figure out how to skin the damn thing, and then time got away from me.
The Child: So you left it to rot.
I killed that rabbit.
I took away its life and gave it to you.
For it to become part of you.
But you’ve got no respect.
Here…
Leave it.
Let the flies have it.
Hey, hey.
I can…
I can see you’re upset.
The Child: Daphne!
Daphne!
Hey, hey, hey!
Daphne!
Hey. Don’t do that.
Daphne! Daphne!
What are you doing? Stop.
Stop it.
Daphne!
You’re hurting me.
Right.
The Child: Daphne!
You need to leave right now.
The Child: Daphne!
Darcy: Out you go.
The Child: (pounding on door) Daphne!
Darcy: You need to leave!
The Child: Daphne!
Daphne!
Daphne: Hey, what’s this?
(continues pounding on door)
Daphne: Darcy.
Don’t. Don’t let him in.
The Child: Daphne!
(continues pounding on door)
Daphne: Hey. Hey.
I wanted to show you something.
For your music.
A special place with a special sound.
I wanted to take you there.
You’ve both been so kind to me.
Please don’t send me away.
We’re not sending you away.
Why would we do that?
Because I don’t belong here.
Um, let me get changed real quick, and then you can take me to that special place.
Okay? How’s that sound?
The rabbit…
Bring the rabbit.
(eerie music playing)
(birds chirping)
(rustling)
Hello?
(whistling tune in distance)
(whistles same tune)
(whistling in distance)
(whistling)
(whistling in distance)
(footsteps echoing)
(faint echoing sounds)
Daph? (echoing) Daphne? (echoing)
(distant echoing)
Daphne: What is that? (echoing)
The Child: We’ll be there now in a minute.
This way. Come on.
(music stops)
How… How did we…
Where are we?
Very close now.
They’re waiting for us.
Daphne: Who? Who’s waiting for us?
The Child: The Tylwyth Teg.
This is their garden.
Come along.
(ominous music playing)
The Widows of the Wood.
They’re beautiful.
The Child: I knew you’d think so.
I can ask them to sing for us if you’d like.
What do you mean by that?
(deep indistinct murmuring)
Just say please, and I’ll ask nicely.
Please.
(whispering in Welsh)
(The Child’s voice echoing)
(whispering continues)
(wind howling)
(inaudible)
(breathing heavily)
The Child: Darcy… Listen. There’s rot inside you.
Who put it there? Or was it there all along?
(breath trembling)
The Child: You’re rotting… and she’s rotting with you. Yes.
You don’t want it to spread, do you?
Stay with me. Here, beneath the blankets of shadow, and soil… and secret. You should fall now.
Should I?
The Child: You’re already falling. Just fall some more.
(music intensifies)
(music stops)
(squelching)
(whispering) Dad?
(floorboard creaking)
(Darcy gasping)
(gasping)
(pants)
(breath trembling)
(eerie music playing)
(Daphne breathing heavily)
(softly) Darcy.
The Child: Mam?
Mam, what’s wrong?
Uh…
Don’t… Don’t…
Don’t call me that.
(sighs)
Why not?
Um…
What…
The Child: Don’t go. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
Mam, I’m sorry. (sobs) Mam, I’m sorry!
Mam!
(Darcy breathing heavily)
The Child: Don’t go! Come back!
(Daphne pants)
(Darcy breathing heavily)
Daphne!
Daphne!
The Child: (sobs) Mam!
Mam, come back!
Sorry. Come back!
(panting)
No, no, no, no, no… (sobs)
(breathing heavily)
(groans)
(groans) Fuck.
(grunts)
(breathing deeply)
(music fades)
I knew you’d lose your way without me.
You scared me.
I’m not scary, am I?
(haunting music playing)
Do you have something you’d like to ask me?
Can you show me the way home?
The Child: What’s the magic word?
Please.
Of course.
That’s what family is for.
(grunts, pants)
(lively instrumental music playing)
(music fades)
The water is still warm if you want a bath, too.
You should go before it gets too dark.
I can wait with you until Darcy gets home.
Yeah, it’s okay. I don’t…
I don’t need you to.
The Child: Can I have something to eat before I go?
Please, please, please, can you go home?
The Child: But I’m hungry.
Why won’t you look at me?
Are you mad at me?
No.
The Child: Are you scared of me?
No.
The Child: So feed me.
(thunder rumbles)
The Child: Don’t I get a kiss good night?
(whispering) Good night, Mam.
(gasps, sighs heavily)
(sobs)
(quietly) He won’t go. (sobs) What? Hey.
What happened? Huh?
(crying) He won’t go.
He won’t go. He won’t go.
(banging on door)
Darcy: Open the door!
(sobs)
Can’t I stay a bit longer?
Darcy: You need to leave.
I’ll be good. I’ll be good.
I promise I will.
(banging on door)
Darcy: Open the door!
(door slams open)
(sobs)
Darcy: We don’t want to hurt you.
We just need you to go. Okay?
But this is my home.
No, no, no, it’s not. It’s not.
It could be.
It could be my home!
It could be my home!
It could be my home!
It could be my home!
Darcy: It’s not. Come on.
Would you fucking help me?
Come on!
Come on. (grunts)
(The Child sobs, screams)
(screaming, crying)
Darcy: You need to leave.
You need to leave!
(screaming, crying continues)
Hey, hey, come on.
(Darcy grunts)
(The Child breathing heavily)
We’re family.
See? You clothed me.
You fed me. You bathed me.
We don’t even know your name.
Give me a name.
Anything you want.
Then I’d be yours.
Just name me.
Name me!
(yells) Name me!
Name me!
Daph…
Daphne: Hmm.
There are things I… haven’t told you… or anyone.
I didn’t want to, um…
I don’t want to give them a name in case that made them… real.
I did, um, everything I could to… forget, but my, uh… my body remembered.
You asked if I ever wanted to… melt into the earth.
Every fucking day.
(fire roaring)
Daphne:
He’s burning the gorse.
He’s letting them in.
Letting who in?
(distorted whispering on record)
(whispering continues over tape)
(whispering continues over tape)
Daphne: (over recording) Who is this? Who is speaking? The oldest of gods.
(distorted whirring)
Daph, what do we do?
Mam.
Mam.
I had a bad dream.
You didn’t want me.
You sent me away.
You’re too old for this, really.
Come on then.
Daphne: Oh, you’re freezing.
The Child: Sorry.
I can go.
Daphne: Mmmm.
That better?
Yes.
(eerie music playing)
If you want to trap a rabbit or any creature, you need to know what it’s hungry for.
And that’s what you offer, as a gift.
And you have to mean it.
♪ (“Afraid”
by The Four Sounds plays) ♪
♪ Afraid… ♪
(Darcy speaking indistinctly)
(Daphne shrieks, laughs)
Careful! Careful!
Yeah, yeah.
(food sizzling)
♪ I’m afraid ♪
♪ That you may say… ♪
What do you like best about me?
I like everything about you.
(slurps)
(slurps)
(slurps)
(slurps)
♪ The sweet things you say ♪
♪ But my heart tells me ♪
♪ Don’t feel that way ♪
(slurps)
(slurps)
(both slurping continuously)
(both gulp loudly)
(song continues)
♪ That you may say goodbye ♪
(creaking)
♪ I stand here ♪
♪ Pleading before you ♪
♪ Can’t you see ♪
♪ I want to love you ♪
(tape creaking, scratching)
♪ But I’m afraid ♪
(tape creaking)
(song fades)
(whispering)
Would you like to hear a story?
To help you sleep?
Yes.
Yes, I’d like that very much.
There was once a rabbit… that was afraid of the dark.
Now that’s a very inconvenient thing for a rabbit to be frightened of… because as we all know… rabbits are supposed to live underground.
Why was the rabbit afraid of the dark?
Why do you think he was afraid?
Maybe because it looked empty.
And he was scared to be alone.
Darcy: That would scare me, too.
But luckily… this rabbit had a wise old friend… the bat.
And you know what she told him?
She said, “My dear rabbit, you need not be afraid of the dark, because there is no such thing, not for those who learn to see… with their ears.”
And so… she led him to the abyss, and they closed their eyes, and they listened.
He heard his mother’s voice… coming from the deep.
From within the earth… not only where it was dark, but where light had never been.
A place before light.
A wild place of pure sound.
And this is what she said to her son… the rabbit that was afraid of the dark.
“Listen, my love.”
“Listen to my voice and know that it is mine.”
“It is time to return home, and learn the language of silence.”
“If it would bring you peace… come down and rest with me.”
“We’ll let our bodies sleep, and return to the silence.”
“Our flesh will crumble into the soil, and our secrets will melt together.”
“And then if we wish… over time… we will be reborn as one creature.”
“A mushroom, an acorn, a hawk.”
Or a human.
Or a human.
“It won’t matter because we’ll be together.”
“One creature… knowing itself fully… hearing through the darkness.”
“Rabbit… are you still afraid of the dark?”
Yes.
“Will you join me anyway?”
Call my name… and I’ll come home.
(singing in Welsh)
(singing continues)
(song ends)
(ominous music playing)
(music fades)
I don’t have the strength to say these things in person.
Not yet.
So, I recorded them.
(clicks)
(wind blowing)
(birds chirping)
(thunder rumbling)
(electronic warbling)
(warbling stops abruptly)
