Film name: Jackrabbit

Director: Carleton Ranney



Jackrabbit film poster Actors: Ryan Dailey (Max) & Josh Caras (Simon)





Jackrabbit brings together an amazing low-tech 80's aesthetic with a pulsing hypnotic soundtrack and adds in fresh new actors to boot. Unfortunately, the slow pacing can make it hard to hook your attention sometimes.





Jackrabbit is set in a future where technological progress and seemingly civilisation itself has been stunted by an event known as the Reset. What the reset actually was is never really explained.





After the suicide of a mutual friend. Simon and Max are brought together to hack into their friend's hard drive and solve the reason behind his death.





The relationship between these two unlikely allies is really what the film is about. Simon works for VOPO, a tech film that is the unofficial government in what is presumed the last city on Earth. Max, on the other-hand, is a drug-addled anarchist hacker.





The mood of the film is really sombre.

Official suicide rates are rattled off by the government as if they are reporting on the weather. Dialogue is sparse, with silence playing a strong role.





What I Liked





The acting in the film is pretty good. Max (Ryan Dailey) was the stand out for me but Simon (Josh Caras) was well played too.









What could be better





The story of Jackrabbit was too jilted to really love it. The pacing was very slow and often introduced new characters for only a single scene.





It's clear the director was going for atmospheric. But a little more focus on story would have made Jackrabbit a better film.



If you get a chance I would recommend watching Jackrabbit if you are looking for an intelligent indie sci fi flick and don't mind a few rough edges.



I would also recommend taking a look at their website http://www.jackrabbitfilm.net/index.shtml. It's a masterpiece all on its own.





As to the name. If anyone has any clue why the movie is called Jackrabbit leave a comment below. I'm scratching my head on that one

The 1980's vision of the future was a clear winner. While barely functional, the bulky computer equipment and technology of the 80's looked fantastic. Imagining what that tech would look like after a lifetime of wear and constant repair was fun.