Netflix movies: Rattlesnake is a slow bite worth watching

The Netflix film Rattlesnake may have gone unnoticed by you when it premiered, but it’s a movie you want to add to your to-watch list.

Rattlesnake made its premiere on Netflix Oct. 25, but it has remained unseen by most due to all the hit horror movies and series currently being streamed this Halloween season. True, Rattlesnake does not provide gore or zombies, and there’s definitely no ghost or serial killer on the hunt in this movie, but are those the only factors that make a good horror movie?

Starring Carmen Ejogo, Theo Rossi and Apollonia Pratt, Rattlesnake follows a mom and daughter on the road. We learn only a few details about their backstory as it’s not long before a flat tire forces them to stop. Carla (Pratt) plays patiently in the dessert while her mom Katrina (Ejogo) changes the tire. Just as Katrina is about to wrap up, a rattlesnake bites the young girl.

A trailer home appears nearby, one that was notably not there before, but a frantic Katrina runs inside hoping someone can help. Be careful what you wish for! A sketchy woman tells Katrina she’ll help Carla while Katrina goes to finish up the tire so they can head to the nearest hospital and casually tells Katrina, “we’ll discuss payment later.”

Once Katrina returns, the mysterious woman is no longer there and Carla no longer has any signs of a bite. At the hospital, the doctors tell Katrina that the girl was not bitten, but is probably just tired and dehydrated from being on the road. Katrina isn’t sure what to believe, but at that moment she’s just happy her daughter is fine.

Soon enough, a man pays Carla and Katrina a visit at the hospital to discuss payment. To Katrina’s horror, what was done to her daughter “isn’t cheap,” and Katrina must now pay a soul for a soul. In other words, if she wants Carla to stay alive, Katrina must kill someone else. Anyone else.

The hunt for the perfect candidate is not easy. This is one of the many things I feel Rattlesnake keeps very real — killing is not easy. Not if you have a conscience, that is. While just about every horror movie out there makes it seem like we’re all inner murderers if the situation calls for it, that may not be so true in real life.

Even with the life of her daughter at risk, Katrina hesitates and can’t seem to get herself to take a life. Of course, with Carla’s life at stake, Katrina has to do it, but the struggle can be felt through the screen. A great performance from Ejogo! I won’t spoil Katrina’s final actions. You’ll have to see this one for yourself.

Theo Rossi also adds a lot to the movie as a character we are supposed to hate, and we do, but our humanity wins when sympathize for him. In the end, we are all humans who wish to keep living.

Don’t expect Rattlesnake to have all the answers for you. One of the things that makes the movie entertaining is the mystery. Rattlesnake will leave you with several questions about the curse and what happens next. And, if you ask me, the unknown is one of the biggest things to fear.

Rattlesnake is now streaming on Netflix.