Happy Little Bunnies (2021) User Reviews

Not your standard slasher

[sahlgoode · 8/10 · 30 May 2021]

This movie was nothing like I expected going in, and I'm sure glad it wasn't.

It started out like a blood filled slasher, with a polite amount of gore, Then it turned into this mysterious, almost surreal tapestry of thought provoking dialogue. Forget that Jon-Scott Clark's character spewed out every stereotypical depressed thought in the book. He was feeding Carl (Simon Manley) with ammunition to go off the wall with his non-stereotypical therapist role. Add in all the little subplots that seemed to have nothing to do with the film, it had me really thinking. (Casey Affleck's cameo helped put it all in perspective. *giggle*) I know popcorn is the standard snack when watching a movie, but I really had the hankering to wolf down an entire apple pie for some reason. Spackle in some polite gore throughout, and you have a well rounded movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, but if you're expecting the standard slasher this isn't it. Watch it for it's unique approach to the genre.

I enjoyed it... And I learned stuff

[eyewitnesstheatre · 10/10 · 30 June 2021]

This is an innovative movie, and I don't understand those who criticise it. We need to applaud and support production teams who are prepared to break standard rules and codicils.

I enjoyed it - and I learned stuff.

Bravo!

Great film

[piggies532 · 31 May 2021]

Really enjoyed this film, had me laughing throughout. The dialogue between the two protagonists takes you on a wild journey and keeps you guessing. Highly recommend watching this.

Not for everyone

[cptantor · 9/10 · 10 June 2021]

I personally think you have to be a bit different than normal people to understand this film. I could relate to the thought process of the character named Carl. The story was great. The actors did a good enough job. Not much of a comedy . It is just a good film.

Intriguing movie

[roussou · 8/10 · 29 January 2022]

Not your run of the mill horror movie, jump scares or blood and gore, but quite some psychodrama - and a surprising end. Pay attention to the beginning.

Happy Little Viewer

[whineycracker2000 · 9/10 · 5 October 2022]

I still can't recall the series of fortunate events which led to my viewing of this film, but I am sure glad it did, because I feel like I hit the jackpot.

Where did this oddity come from? Who is this filmmaker Michael McConnell and why have I not heard of him before? His film 'Happy Little Bunnies', places him alongside the ranks of Todd Solondz, Edgar Wright, John Waters (yes, you heard that correctly). If you are fan of those artists and/or their lesser-known counterparts, then take note. You can thank me for it later.

A plot synopsis is nearly impossible, and I have no words that could properly describe it, but the set up is simple enough: A handsome fellow named John (think a millennial version of Woody Allen) - miserable, self-loathing, and adrift-hopes to find some form of healing when he engages in a therapy session with a mysterious, yet seemingly even-tempered psychologist named Simon, who employs a set of unorthodox counseling techniques. The interaction becomes a journey down a rabbit hole (does this qualify as a pun?)resulting in a mind-bending series of events involving a host of truly bizarre characters; to give you a taste, one of these is a serial killer bunny that offs perverts.

The film's opening titles, which apes "Funny Games", makes it obvious that "Bunnies" is going to be a meta-affair, and indeed it is. But it's also much more. It takes fractured pieces of its story and presents them through small vignettes, which play out almost like performance art, some even bordering on sketch comedy, most of them hysterically morbid. Additionally, it toys with elements of other films within the same "arthouse" niche, but then turns them on their heads, while eventually pulling the carpet out from under the viewer's feet-all to dizzying effect. If this sounds gimmicky or pretentious, I can assure you it is anything but. McConnell's script is meticulously structured and brilliantly weaves all of its disparate narrative threads together seamlessly, leaving no stone unturned. Watching it all come together feels like a magic trick unfolding on screen.

I'll stop there as you just have to experience it for yourself. Let's just say that the journey to its insanely bonkers ending is about as wild and unpredictable as one is likely to find in any modern horror/comedy and you definitely won't see it coming.

'Bunnies' exists within its own whacked out universe and is all the better for it. Ingeniously plotted, exceptionally acted and directed, and squirm inducing in all the right ways, it joins the ranks among the best cult classics and deserves far more recognition than it has received. How such a well made film can fly under the radar is baffling. Prepare to laugh and gasp in equal measure. Highly recommend.

Very hard to categorise

[dewi-taylor · 8/10 · 20 January 2024]

Not scary enough to be a horror, not funny enough to be a comedy and not slick enough to be a thriller. Despite being uncomfortable in parts, Happy Little Bunnies is extremely watchable. Great dialogue, quality acting and equal moments of hilarity, disgust and confusion. Its easy to see why this film has been rated as low and as high as it has. I hope to persuade film lovers to give it a go and ignore the majority with this one - it will be a cult classic and Happy Little Bunnies will satisfy anyone into low-budget, British comedy/horror/slasher/suspenseful psychological thrillers. Adults only.