Bunny Lake is Missing is a dark mood piece about loss, madness and the sometimes creepy bond between siblings (see: Sisters, Clueless, The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan). When single mother Ann finds her daughter Bunny (don’t worry, only a nickname) missing from school at first she’s in disbelief. The school is run by people with shit for brains that are no help at all, nonchalantly repeating that Bunny’s class has already left even though the child was not among them. Who knew teachers could be as indifferent as postal workers at lunchtime.
In a hand-covering-mouth-in-shock moment, Ann returns home to find all of Bunny’s things missing?! Queue dramatic score. Strangely no one other than Ann has ever met the child and some begin to wonder if the little girl is real or just a figment of Ann’s imagination. Even the police aren’t much help. This was a time before Horatio Cane and Forensic Files. This film is a thriller of the best kind: slow building, pointing you in a few different directions before giving you a twist ending. Also notable, the opening titles are courtesy of genius designer Saul Bass.
Download: “Just Out of Reach” by The Zombies, amazing song that plays during the film.
