Children often talk about invisible friends or imagine fictional worlds. But what if a child begins confidently describing another life — full of specific details and emotions?
In 2023, the Australian film Run Rabbit Run, released on Netflix, quickly gained popularity and reached the top of the platform’s charts. Yet few people know that this psychological thriller is based on a true story that deeply impressed the screenwriter and became the main source of inspiration for the film.
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At the center of the plot is Sarah, a single mother whose young daughter, Mia, begins to claim she remembers her past life. The girl doesn’t just speak about it — she painfully longs for her “former” loved ones and recalls details she should have no way of knowing. The story seems supernatural, but as it turns out, it has real roots.
An Incredible Memory from Glasgow
The film’s screenwriter, Hannah Kent, was profoundly moved by a documentary about real events in Scotland, which ultimately shaped the story. It concerned a little boy from Glasgow. Almost as soon as he learned to speak, he began telling his mother that he missed his “other mum.” These weren’t fantasies or trauma-induced delusions—he claimed to remember his previous life.
At first, his parents thought it was just a child’s game. But over time, his stories became increasingly detailed. He described his former home and parents, saying he had lived on the Isle of Barra off the coast of Scotland. A documentary film crew decided to verify his claims. The family had never been to Barra, but when they arrived there, they discovered that the place the boy described existed exactly as he remembered it.
Hannah Kent was astonished by this story. She realized she wanted to tell something similar in the form of a feature film — not just about a child, but about the emotional turmoil of parents who face the inexplicable and cannot protect their child from something they themselves don’t understand. After all, this Scottish boy was not the only child who claimed to remember a past life.
Hannah Kent recalled this idea when Netflix producers approached her to create a new psychological thriller. This led to the story of Run Rabbit Run, in which Mia’s mother is portrayed by Sarah Snook — the star of the series Succession. Her performance brought to life the confusion and terror of a parent confronted with the unexplainable and the persistent “past” of her child.
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Thus, a real Scottish story inspired not merely a supernatural film, but a profound psychological drama about parental love, fear, and the boundaries of reality.
