Childhood fears of the monster hiding under the bed take shape – literally – in Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny. An inventively stylish horror fairy tale, Fuller’s feature directorial debut is as thrilling as it is heartfelt. Reuniting with his Hannibal lead Mads Mikkelsen, Fuller effortlessly brings his unique vision to life in whimsically macabre ways. If we had to wait years for his first feature film, it was definitely worth it for Dust Bunny.
Aurora (Sophie Sloan) is a precocious 10-year-old whose family has been eaten by the monster that lives under her bed. A single dust bunny, left to fester and grow into an untamed beast, the monster will eat anyone who steps on the floors of her apartment. When no one heeds her warnings, she turns to her neighbour, an unnamed hit man (Mikkelsen) for help. Certain that his profession, and not an under-the-bed dweller, led to the deaths of her parents, he agrees to help her conquer the monster, once and for all.
Wildly colourful, spooky, and deliciously funny, Dust Bunny is the movie that kids who grew up on monstrous 1980s’ fantasy fare like Labyrinth and Little Monsters have been waiting for as adults. Blending an action-packed story about a hitman with a childhood monster movie is the perfect vehicle for Fuller. Known for decades of work in TV with his stylish and quirky series like Pushing Daisies, Hannibal, and Dead Like Me, Fuller gets to let his creative vision soar. It’s a horror-comedy for the whole family: too silly to be truly scary and just enough action and intrigue to keep older viewers entertained.
Dust Bunny exists in a brightly coloured world where dragons are as real as the monsters under the bed, and the evil witch may just be Sigourney Weaver in a floral dress. You see, she’s the one responsible for sending the hitman on jobs and for siccing those on him after Aurora has seen his face. Coolly calm and detached, she’s the antithesis of the hit man whose tender side betrays what he does for a living.
Mikkelsen is dynamite as the hitman in what might just be the sweetest role of his career, which, considering he’s a cold-blooded killer here, is really saying something. Channelling some of the deadpan humour reminiscent of his work in Danish films with director Anders Thomas Jensen, the dark comedy and zinger-filled dialogue is pitch-perfect for the Dust Bunny’s vibe. A running joke about how he just can’t correctly pronounce “Aurora” with his accent kept audiences giggling throughout the film’s runtime. As a die-hard Hannibal fan, I can only hope for more collaborations between Fuller and Mikkelsen, in any genre.
But the real show stealer here is Sloan, who is wonderful as Aurora. Portraying the character with command and confidence as the only child in a monstrous world of adults, she’s adept at delivering her lines with utter disdain and pitying looks when they’re about to be devoured. After all, she warned the adults not to step on the floor.
Although some of the CGI is less than convincing, Dust Bunny is a visual delight. A bold colour palette and striking sartorial choices bring Fuller’s vision to life in all its maximalist glory. From Chinoiserie wallpaper and ornate fixtures, the work of production designer Jeremy Reed pops off the screen thanks to glowing cinematography by Nicole Hirsch Whitaker. The film’s fairytale aesthetic, complete with split diopter shots, infuses the narrative with a uniquely magical and eccentric quality, making it a truly immersive experience that perfectly pairs with the story.
While TIFF’s Midnight Madness programme has waned in recent years due to changes in venue and programmer, Dust Bunny feels like a throwback to the good old days of the festival where the limits of genre are pushed and filmmakers with artistic vision are championed. Without a doubt, it is one of the best films the programme has seen in years.
Fuller’s feature debut may be whimsical and weird, but it’s also a reminder of just how fun genre cinema can be. Dust Bunny is the kind of film that crawls out from under the bed and straight into cult classic territory, a gateway for the next generation of horror fans.
