The image of the rabbit appears in movies for a variety of reasons. It might be a message about brains over brawn, contemplation as opposed to aggression, or a symbol of eternal victimhood. Many claim that there's an image of the rabbit on the surface of the moon as opposed to a human face, connecting the animal to real-life points of reference that people see all the time.
In the mythology of the Lunar New Year festival, the Rabbit is the calm voice of reason after the time of the Tiger's madness. 2022 was the Year of the Tiger, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. For those looking for a way to celebrate the animal spirit of the season, or just want to pay homage to one of the animal kingdom's most humble and endearing members, there are plenty of great movies that feature rabbits.
7 Watership Down (1978)
There's the eternal joke about this movie being the fuel of a thousand childhood nightmares, and it was marketed to children because it featured talking animals, although Richard Adams didn't have children in mind when he wrote the book. Adams was an ardent animal rights activist and he had no patience for the human capacity to show cruelty and indifference to animals, and this adaptation is just as unapologetic as his novel.
Watership Down isn't just a great book adaptation, it was also ahead of its time when it came to animated features for grown-ups and movies starring animals. The casting was also stellar, with John Hurt in one of his best but most obscure voice-acting roles.
6 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
There's a lot more going on in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Than just a film-noir murder mystery. This movie was based on what should have been the script for the third installment in the Chinatown franchise but it ended up here instead. Other than the funny quips about the cartoon rabbit, some real social issues make up this plot.
There's the issue of 'toons being segregated, for example, a commentary on the era in Hollywood when people of color could work in certain clubs but not attend them for fun. Then there are also issues of public transit and real estate speculation that elevate this movie above just being a wacky story about a cartoon rabbit.
5 Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
A magician can pull a rabbit out of a hat, but Eglantine Price cuts out the middleman and just goes straight to the rabbit part. A student of the Emelius Brown Correspondence College of Witchcraft, one of the first spells she learned was how to turn someone into a rabbit. In theory anyway, since the spell is supposed to be for a toad it always results in a white rabbit.
It's not only a handy way to keep the kids in line, which Eglantine demonstrates when the oldest child Charles tries some shady dealings. Emelius Brown uses the same spell later to turn himself into a rabbit and fool the Nazis.
4 Bambi (1942)
"Eating greens is a special treat," our friend Thumper declares, "it makes long ears and great big feet!" The typical rabbit from the very beginning, Thumper is adorable but he has a bit of an attitude and a clever sense of humor. He's usually the comic relief, another trait typical of the rabbit character.
Thumper lives on in Disney's pantheon as one of Bambi's original forest companions and often appears next to his best friend in any kind of media or publicity related to their legacy. The music is still great, as is the stunning artwork, giving this story about cute woodland critters an epic dimension that echoes in modern productions like Princess Mononoke.
3 Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny? One of the most fearsome beasts ever to appear on film was the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, the guardian of the Cave of Caerbannog, in which dwells the Black Beast of Arrrghhh who guards the Holy Grail. Instead of dragons or demons, this King Arthur fights deadly bunnies, and he blows this one up using a ranged weapon, the Holy Hand Grenade of Saint Antioch.
Despite the obviously low budget and satirical use of simple effects like models, this is some brilliant comedy and it's still just as funny as it was in the '70s. The scene is as wacky and hysterical as it sounds and is the source for several modern "run away" memes that feature the frightened knights retreating from the killer bunny.
2 Alice In Wonderland (1951)
Another book adaptation, but this one features a rabbit as a supporting character that doesn't appear very often but is vital to the plot. No White Rabbit, no Alice In Wonderland, after all, since this is the animal that she follows to Wonderland, and one of the earliest examples of Western isekai literature.
This white rabbit has become a cultural icon for many reasons, symbolic of following an unknown or mysterious path to an unknown and perhaps dangerous origin. The Disney version is more visually stunning than introspective, giving Alice less agency than her literary counterpart, but she keeps a defiant and curious attitude.
1 Donnie Darko (2001)
The scary rabbit suit isn't the only rabbit to make an appearance in Donnie Darko, although the iconic image has become a symbol of the film and the cult following it enjoys. The novel Watership Down, which entirely stars rabbits and has a film adaptation of its own, is referenced several times throughout the story.
The rabbit as an apocalyptic symbol is a fairly new one, referencing not only Richard Adam's vision in his novel but also the rabbit's position at the bottom of the food chain. The story of Donnie Darko connects to another vulnerable group, children.