If you grew up in the UK or saw a grainy VHS tape in the 90s, the words "Watership Down" probably trigger a specific kind of trauma. You think of Bright Eyes playing over a field of crimson. You think of the Black Rabbit of Inlé. So, when the Watership Down movie 2018 (technically a four-part miniseries, but let’s be real, it’s a four-hour movie) dropped on Netflix and the BBC, people were ready to be devastated all over again.
But then the trailer hit.
The internet did what it does best: it complained. People saw the CGI and panicked. It wasn't the hand-drawn, visceral gore of the 1978 original. It looked... different. Kinda digital. Maybe a bit stiff? Honestly, a lot of people wrote it off before they even hit play. That was a mistake.
Because if you actually sit down with this version, you realize it’s doing something the 1978 film couldn't quite manage. It captures the scale of Richard Adams’ world. It’s not just a story about bunnies running away from a construction site; it’s an epic about faith, tyranny, and the cost of building a society from scratch.
The CGI hurdle and why it actually works
Let’s address the elephant—or the rabbit—in the room. The animation in the Watership Down movie 2018 was handled by Brown Bag Films. At first glance, it feels a bit "video game cinematic" from the early 2010s. It lacks the fluid, organic warmth of the hand-painted backgrounds we loved in the 70s version.
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But here’s the thing.
The 2018 version uses that digital clarity to give the rabbits individual personalities. In the original movie, unless it was Bigwig or Fiver, the rabbits kinda blended together into a brown blur. In this version, thanks to the voice acting and the character design, you actually know who is who. You care about Strawberry. You understand Dandelion’s role.
The landscapes are breathtaking, too. They captured the Hampshire Downs with a level of geographical accuracy that feels grounded. You can almost smell the wet grass and the looming threat of the "thousand" (the predators).
A voice cast that didn't need to go this hard
Seriously, look at this lineup.
James McAvoy as Hazel? Perfect. He brings this shaky, uncertain leadership that feels way more human—well, rabbit-like—than the stoic heroes we usually get. Nicholas Hoult plays Fiver with a twitchy, high-strung energy that makes his visions feel like a genuine burden rather than just a plot device.
And then there's John Boyega as Bigwig.
Most people think of Bigwig as just the "tough guy." Boyega gives him layers. You see the conflict of a soldier who abandoned his post because he knew his leaders were wrong. When he goes undercover in Efrafa—the fascist rabbit colony ruled by General Woundwort—the tension is unbearable. Ben Kingsley voices Woundwort, and he doesn’t play him as a monster. He plays him as a dictator who genuinely believes his cruelty is the only way to keep his people safe.
That’s way scarier.
What the Watership Down movie 2018 gets right about the book
Richard Adams didn't write a kids' book. He wrote a book for his daughters that ended up being a dense exploration of mythology and survival. The 1978 film had to cut so much of the "Lapine" culture to fit into a 90-minute runtime.
The 2018 adaptation has room to breathe.
We get the stories of El-ahrairah, the Prince with a Thousand Enemies. These sequences are stylized differently, looking more like ancient cave paintings or shadows. They remind us that these rabbits aren't just animals; they have a religion. They have a history. This version digs into the "Black Rabbit of Inlé" not just as a boogeyman, but as a necessary part of the natural order.
It’s about the "Home" they are trying to build. In the Watership Down movie 2018, the struggle to establish the warren on the hill feels desperate. They aren't just running; they are trying to figure out how to live together without becoming the very thing they fled from in Efrafa.
The female characters finally get a say
One of the biggest, and most necessary, changes in the 2018 version is how it handles the "Does." In the original book and the first movie, the female rabbits are basically MacGuffins. They are prizes to be won so the warren can survive.
That doesn't fly in the 21st century.
The 2018 version beefs up the roles of characters like Clover (voiced by Gemma Arterton) and Hyzenthlay (Anne-Marie Duff). They aren't just waiting to be rescued. They are active participants in the escape from Efrafa. Hyzenthlay, in particular, becomes a revolutionary leader in her own right. She’s the one organizing the internal resistance against Woundwort. This change makes the stakes feel much higher. It’s not just a heist; it’s a prison break fueled by a desire for actual liberty.
Is it still scary?
Yeah. It is.
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It’s not as bloody as the 78 version—you won't see rabbits tearing each other's throats out in slow-motion silhouette quite as much—but the psychological horror is turned up. The scene where the original warren is destroyed by "HRUDUDU" (human machinery) is claustrophobic and haunting. You feel the panic of being buried alive.
The Efrafa sequence is also genuinely chilling. The way the rabbits are marked, the way they are forced to sit in rows, the way they are punished for even looking at the sky... it mirrors real-world totalitarianism in a way that feels uncomfortably relevant.
Why the critics were wrong
At the time, reviews were middling. People focused on the "uncanny valley" of the CGI. They missed the forest for the trees. If you can get past the fact that it doesn't look like a Pixar movie, you’ll find a story that is much more emotionally resonant than the gore-fest of the 70s.
It’s a story about the burden of leadership. Hazel is a "Chief Rabbit" who doesn't want to be in charge. He’s constantly second-guessing himself. Watching him grow into that role over four hours is a much more satisfying arc than what we've seen in previous iterations.
How to watch it today
The Watership Down movie 2018 is still readily available on Netflix in most regions, and it’s one of those things that’s actually better on a second watch. When you aren't comparing it to your childhood nightmares, the craft of the storytelling really stands out.
If you're planning a viewing, here’s how to get the most out of it:
- Watch it as a marathon. Don't break it up over four days. It’s designed to be an immersive experience.
- Pay attention to the sound design. The way they use ambient noise to signal danger is incredible.
- Listen for the lore. The terminology (Flayrah, Hrimman, Ni-Frith) is used naturally here, and it builds a world that feels lived-in.
Ultimately, this version of the story proves that Richard Adams’ work is timeless. It doesn't matter if it's hand-drawn, live-action, or CGI; the core message remains. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you.
The 2018 adaptation reminds us that the "catching" is the easy part. It's the living that's hard.
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Next Steps for Fans
If you've finished the series and want to go deeper into the lore of the Hampshire Downs:
- Read "Tales from Watership Down." This is Richard Adams' follow-up collection of short stories that delves deeper into the mythology of El-ahrairah.
- Visit the real Watership Down. It’s a real place in Hampshire, England. You can hike the actual paths Hazel and his crew would have taken.
- Compare the opening sequences. Watch the first 10 minutes of the 1978 film and the 2018 version back-to-back. It’s a masterclass in how different eras of animation handle the "Creation Myth" of the rabbits.