Review: DUST BUNNY is a Delightful Action-Horror Romp

Given Bryan Fuller's prolific television career, it's surprising but true that Dust Bunny is the filmmaker's first feature-length film. That's not an issue, just an interesting tidbit. Fuller hardly self-implodes when telling a contained story that doesn't have multiple episodes to materialize. Dust Bunny is wicked and playful as per Fuller's brand, which can't be gateway horror with an R-rating, but carries this pleasurable childlike imagination. There's a little Léon: The Professional and Gunpowder Milkshake thrown into a fairy tale creature feature, which settles into a wholesome action-horror vibe that’s like a grim bedtime tale meets shoot-'em-up excitement.

Mads Mikkelsen reunites with his Hannibal showrunner to play a loner hitman—dubbed “Intriguing Man”—hired by a small child to kill the monster under her bed. Sophie Sloan co-stars as Aurora, the eight-year-old foster child in dire need of help. Aurora doesn't know much about Mikkelsen's assassin outside his violent profession and his neighboring apartment number (5B), but she’s out of options. Mr. 5B has enough to worry about with rival mercenaries all looking to send him into an early retirement, but he accepts the job anyway, sympathetic to Aurora's pleas—even if he doesn’t believe a monstrosity from under her floorboards devoured her adopted parents.

Fuller does a swell job of establishing tonality that's anything but twee and padded despite aiming for "family friendly." Aurora's boogeyrabbit is glimpsed in full view, snarling and ravenous, a mutant riff on "dust bunny" lore. Mikkelsen's underworld of kill-happy caricatures shoot to kill, carrying out Gun Fu choreography in cramped apartment complex quarters. It's stylized like an adolescent's pop-up book, seeing the world as larger-than-life through Aurora's perspective, while honoring the meaner streaks when it's feeding or fighting time. Lockboxes like Aurora's apartment or Mikkelson's favorite dim sum restaurant feel ten times bigger and infinitely more elegant, ditching metropolitan gloominess for floral accents, floor-is-lava gags, and pops of color my landlords never allowed.

If there's a gripe about Dust Bunny's visuals, it's the predominantly digitally rendered beasty. The credits list seven puppeteers, so why does Dusty look so reliant on post-production animators? Fuller cheekily adapts Jaws' formula to the bunny's abilities—burrowing under Aurora's floor like a shark skimming the surface—but the creature's full-body animation loses some magic. The unkempt hair, overgrown fangs, and despicably mangy appearance give the impression of a ferocious imaginary friend kept locked away in shadows, yet pixelation dulls some of that whimsy. It's not a death blow, and the bad bunny still earns our respect as it chows down on trespassers who dare disbelieve Aurora's warnings; it's just enough to make us wish for a bit more practical craftsmanship.

More importantly, Dust Bunny is a delightful found-family fable that's both kooky and sincere. There's a Lone Wolf and Cub bond between Mikkelsen and Sloan; Aurora's spunk puts a smile on Mr. 5B's face. Mikkelsen sells the whole reluctant protector with a heart of gold angle as he faces a slew of other hired guns (David Dastmalchian is a standout foe as a dapper gangster type). But Sloan is a lil' firecracker, earning praise for how she stands five feet taller when not backing down from Sigourney Weaver's glare (she’s playing Mr. 5 B's fine-dining enthusiast handler). Fuller lets his actors go ham with the premise of Aurora's seemingly far-fetched claim falling on unbelieving ears, especially Mikkelsen—but the best character work comes once the ginormous bun bun becomes undeniably real to everyone trapped in its domain.

Fuller doesn't leave much room to hide in Dust Bunny because he doesn't have to. It's a confined action-thriller with minimal set changes, dependent on the tiniest details. Mikkelsen isn't just eating a soup dumpling; his chopsticks press into a delectable little rabbit-shaped treat. Mr. 5B doesn't just eliminate henchmen, he engages in back-alley warfare with brawlers flanked by one of those Chinese parade dragons. Scene after scene, Fuller thinks of how to add a little more vitality and splashiness. There are points where the cute-and-cuthroat narrative does feel slight, hitting the concept's ceiling, but it's still impressive how Fuller makes his world feel so lived-in, akin to Hotel Artemis or a Halloween-themed Joe Dante-directed John Wick spinoff.

Dust Bunny does "family-friendly" horror right, as long as your parents are rad and serve as chaperones for R-rated movies. Fuller doesn't concede his vision to softer gateway representations, ensuring the film doesn't lose its much-needed edge. Mikkelsen and Sloan understand the assignment, hitting the right chemistry between gruff guardian and cursed kiddo. Originality, zaniness, and entertainment all hit their marks, which goes a long way in something as streamlined as Dust Bunny. Sure, it's shortsighted and a bit too reliant on digital SFX, but the smile it'll put on your face is what you’ll remember once it’s over.

Movie Score: 3.5/5