From the opening shot of writer-director Bryn Chainey’s new horror film Rabbit Trap, the connection between sound and the physical world is made clear. A waveform squiggles center frame and then we cut to Darcy (Dev Patel) recording the sound of an undulating murmuration of birds in the sky. Thesis affirmed, and an interesting one at that. Sadly, Rabbit Trap seems to know only one tempo. A monotone pace kills what could have been an an entertaining English folklore mystery.

The year is 1976. Darcy and his wife Daphne (Rosy McEwen), have moved to the English countryside to complete her next sonic masterpiece. At one point, Darcy is asked if his wife is famous. He sidesteps and says that Daphne is influential. As the film settles into the story we watch Daphne playing with knobs and dials to create a specific soundscape culled from found sounds. Things are going well until the power cuts out and Darcy rushes in with a joint to calm his wife’s artistic frustrations. Problem solved… or so they think. What they don’t know is that, in the process of Daphne’s sonic wanderings, she has summoned to life an elder force in the nearby woods. Shortly thereafter, a nameless Child (Jade Croot) meets up with Darcy as he is collecting sounds from the countryside for his wife’s project. This child hints at living nearby and Daphne and Darcy begin to take a keen interest in this enigmatic youth.

Reflexively, Daphne and Darcy can’t help but take this cloying adolescent under their wing. Darcy takes this nameless youth out for recording sessions and Daphne develops an almost blind compassion for the troubled youth. Eventually things veer into the centuries-old lore of the local province and the child slowly begins schooling the sonic couple on the ancients. All the while, this nameless child slowly permeates into the couple’s lives with a lesson to deliver to the both of them.

Rabbit Trap is a worthy failure. This is original storytelling rooted in ancient lore with the focus on teaching a lesson rather than punishing the sins of the modern era. Patel is, as usual a charismatic screen presence as the dutiful husband in support of his wife’s pursuits. The two revelations however are McEwen as Daphne and Croot as the Child. McEwen‘s Daphne is a relentless, chain smoking artist searching for the right sound. Croot’s Child is an enigmatic, mercurial little being who thrives on intense emotion primal connection. Yet, despite the talent, the staid, monotonous pace dulls any impact that they story might try to deliver.

Bryn Chainey knows how to create a film with an intense tone and consistent atmosphere. The sound design of the film is of particular note for its inventiveness and immersive feel. That’s not to mention it being an integral character in the story. I want to see Chainey find an Editor or Assistant Director who can assist in the momentum while maintaining the feel. As it stands Rabbit Trap is a beautifully crafted slab of mood with a steady pace.