My quick rating – 4.3/10. If you ever wanted an ’80s slasher that remembers all the boobs and blood but forgets to bring along a coherent story, Red Rabbit Lodge has you covered.
The movie opens with a peaceful shot of an old house before introducing a blonde woman chatting away on a corded phone. Her boyfriend is apparently on his way over, complete with a request to throw a VHS porno into the player. Between the phone, the tape, and the soundtrack, the movie practically screams, “Remember the ’80s? We sure do!”
Unfortunately for her, unless her boyfriend suddenly developed a taste for masks and murder, someone else arrives first. Even after her mother warns her that there’s a masked killer on the loose, she does exactly what every slasher victim is contractually obligated to do. Ignore the warning completely. It makes for a fun opening kill. And maybe the best part of the movie.
During the opening credits, we get the masked killer carefully sewing together a bloody stuffed rabbit, which is equal parts creepy and bizarre. Combined with the synth-heavy score and grainy grindhouse presentation, the film absolutely nails its retro aesthetic. If you didn’t know writer/director Kevin Khachan released it in 2026, you’d probably assume someone dug up a forgotten VHS from 1986.
Then comes the obligatory “20 years later” jump.
A group of girls and a couple of guys arrive at Red Rabbit Lodge, which is supposedly a sanctuary for foreign students. Maybe it’s a hostel. Or a school. Or all three. The movie never seems particularly interested in explaining why anyone is actually there, and after a while I stopped caring because the script certainly doesn’t.
The movie makes extensive use of the slasher trope clichés, ticking each one off its checklist. There’s the obligatory slow-mo shower sequence, an abundance of gorgeous victims making bad choices, and all the gore effects that you would expect from a retro-style slasher movie. And credit where credit is due, it’s surprisingly well done.
Then, just when you’re appreciating the practical effects, the movie suddenly throws in some cheap CGI blood splatter that sticks out like a sore thumb. It feels completely unnecessary and actually makes some of the kills less effective.
The largest issue is that nothing fits in satisfactorily. The characters are there just for the body count. The plot doesn’t even really hold together, and the mystery that is supposed to be unfolding never ends up being anything worthwhile. Too caught up in trying to recreate the atmosphere of a slasher, it fails to remember that there still needs to be a story.
By the time the finale rolls around, it ends with a shrug. No bang. The ending feels rushed, anti-climactic, and doesn’t deliver the payoff Red Rabbit Lodge seemed to be setting up.
And if you somehow thought there wasn’t enough gratuitous nudity already, the end credits decide to feature artistic shots of several of the actresses for…(I am shrugging). It’s certainly a choice.
