In ‘Dust Bunny,’ a girl hires an assassin to take out her bedroom terrors

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Bryan Fuller, the acclaimed TV creator behind shows like “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal,” has received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his debut feature film. Despite a nearly thirty-year career in television, including series like “Dead Like Me” and “American Gods,” it’s surprising this is his first movie. He’s now venturing into independent film with “Dust Bunny,” a dark fairy tale, and is once again collaborating with actor Mads Mikkelsen, who famously played Hannibal Lecter in his series.

Fuller loves playing with idioms, often taking them to humorous extremes – like really imagining what it means to ‘push up daisies.’ In his story, ‘Dust Bunny,’ he explores this by wondering what nightmares might look like as actual fluff. He also presents a wildly imaginative idea: what if a child actually hired someone to eliminate the monster living under their bed?

I’m really drawn into the story of Aurora, this incredibly imaginative little girl. She hears all sorts of scary noises at night and has this wild imagination – she actually thinks the dust bunnies under her bed are monstrous creatures! When her parents suddenly disappear, she’s convinced this monster bunny got them. She remembers seeing this mysterious neighbor – Mikkelsen, the credits call him – seemingly fighting dragons in the alley, so she decides he’s the only one who can help. She even takes money from the church collection plate to pay him! As he gets to know her, you realize she’s had a really tough childhood, and he agrees to help her find her parents.

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Initially, “Dust Bunny” feels somewhat superficial, with the story quickly moving across its detailed setting and featuring minimal conversation in the first half. However, it steadily expands, adding layers as Fuller unveils this unusual and intense world. We’re introduced to Laverne (Sigourney Weaver), the handler of the intriguing neighbor, which reveals a larger network of assassins he’s involved in. Weaver delivers her lines with powerful energy, much like the monstrous bunny devours everything in sight—and she does so while enthusiastically enjoying a feast of meats, dumplings, and tiny pig sandwiches. It’s a world where monsters might even share a meal with you.

I have to say, watching this film felt like a beautiful blend of ‘Leon: The Professional’ and ‘Amélie’ – both movies the director clearly loves – but with a uniquely playful spin. It’s definitely a film with a very specific style, though, and honestly, if you don’t immediately connect with its quirky humor and carefully crafted world, it might not grab you. As the story expands and we meet a clever FBI agent and some genuinely menacing villains, the plot becomes really compelling, moving beyond what initially felt like a simple story about childhood trauma. However, I couldn’t help but feel like there was room for more depth, like the story needed a little more fleshing out to truly shine. It’s lovely, but just a touch…shallow.

Fuller clearly has a strong visual style, but the movie’s central metaphor – about accepting the things we fear – feels a little confusing. While Sloan and Mikkelsen deliver excellent performances, the story doesn’t quite give them enough to work with. It’s possible the film’s limited scope is due to budget constraints, cleverly disguised by its lavish and colorful production design, created by Jeremy Reed and beautifully filmed by Nicole Hirsch Whitaker.

This feels like a surprisingly fresh start for such a seasoned creator. While the project definitely showcases Fuller’s unique style, it’s essentially a fun, though fairly simple, hard-R adventure geared towards younger audiences.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

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2025-12-13 07:31