The Death of Bunny Munro review: Matt Smith disturbs in Adolescence gone analogue

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Netflix’s series Adolescence highlighted the harmful beliefs spreading online and increasingly influencing young people, particularly teenage boys and young men.

The story wasn’t so much about the sexism itself, but how it spread. The online ‘manosphere’ acted as a strong force, boosting harmful beliefs that seemed to be fading away.

In a way, The Death of Bunny Munro acts like a backstory, showing how boys were taught to disrespect and even abuse women—long before the influence of social media became so widespread.

Bunny Munro, a travelling salesman from Brighton played by Matt Smith, embarks on a road trip along the south coast with his son after experiencing a terrible loss.

While the trip is presented as a way to train Bunny Jr. (Rafael Mathé), it’s really a chance for his grieving father to give in to his harmful habits – things like casual sex, drugs, and drinking.

The story centers on young Bunny Jr., who is easily influenced and greatly admires his charming but emotionally unavailable father. He constantly tries to copy his father, often overlooking or making excuses for the lack of attention given to him and his deceased mother, Libby (played by Sarah Greene).

This pattern of behavior is evident in the older Bunny’s relationship with his father, Bunny Sr. (David Threlfall), and seems to be a long-standing issue within their family. The question remains: will this cycle of violence finally stop, or will it continue forever?

The story feels like a collection of loosely connected scenes, each focusing on unpleasant customer interactions. These encounters are made even more unsettling by occasional visits from social services and the growing threat of a mysterious killer.

When visiting people’s homes, Smith relies on the same charming personality that made his Eleventh Doctor so popular, but now with a manipulative and unsettling quality that eventually becomes truly frightening.

In contrast, Mathé delivers a truly innocent and sincere performance. Despite being only nine years old, he’s asked to portray some surprisingly mature and difficult emotions, and he handles them with remarkable skill – especially considering this is his first time on screen.

Pete Jackson, the writer behind Channel 4’s powerful series Somewhere Boy, has once again created a captivating show. Like his previous work, this one is just as moving in its subtle, quiet scenes as it is during its more dramatic or intense moments.

Despite significantly developing and enhancing Nick Cave’s story, Jackson largely maintains the novel’s controversial ending, which will probably continue to divide viewers when adapted for television.

More than just a story, ‘The Death of Bunny Munro’ is a deep dive into its characters, which allows its more unusual and symbolic ending to feel earned and fitting, especially compared to other British films.

You won’t be confused by unclear plot points, but the ending’s strange imagery might leave you wondering about its deeper meaning.

But more importantly, this story highlights how damaging behaviors can start in childhood and become deeply ingrained, making them incredibly hard to overcome later in life.

Ultimately, The Death of Bunny Munro emphasizes the vital need for human connection – as Nick Cave’s poignant theme song puts it, “we gotta love one another or die.” The novel shows what happens when we fail to connect, leading to destruction and loss.

The Death of Bunny Munro premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Thursday 20th November 2025.

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2025-11-20 11:04