The monster lurking under the bed is real and hungry in “Hannibal” creator Bryan Fuller’s charming feature directorial debut, Dust Bunny. It’s an imaginative bedtime story come to life on screen, bearing more in common with Fuller’s whimsical “Pushing Daisies” in style and tone. Humor, horror, and heart collide in an infectious fairy tale of a movie, yielding one of the strongest gateway horror movies to come along in a long while.
Sophie Sloan instantly worms her way into your heart as 10-year-old Aurora, the adorably precocious young girl tormented by a dust bunny turned monstrous beast that lives under the floor beneath her bed. By night, those who dare step foot on the floor risk being gobbled up, but it’s too bad no grown-up will believe Aurora’s frantic warnings. When her parents fall prey to a monster, Aurora turns to her neighbor, an unnamed hit man (Mads Mikkelsen), for help. Convinced his job resulted in the death of her parents, he takes on the job that’ll put them both in the crosshairs of assassins and one vicious dust bunny.
Fuller renders Aurora’s predicament with colorful vibrancy and boundless creativity. It’s a fairy tale vision of New York, one lit in bold hues and quirky décor, that matches the fantasy flourishes manifested in Aurora’s imagination. The hyper-stylized production design is so well-realized that it becomes a character in itself, creating full immersion into this unique vision of gateway horror.
It’s also a sly way to add texture and contrast to this heartwarming story; the fairy tale-esque set pieces offset the more hardboiled, straight-to-business nature of its central characters. Aurora’s had a far more troubled life than the setting initially belies, making her far wiser and no-nonsense than her age. Sloan, as Aurora, more than holds her own against Mikkelsen’s equally no-nonsense but not without a conscience hit man. That becomes a problem for his handler (Sigourney Weaver), a tough and seasoned vet in her brutal field who seeks to snuff out any and all witnesses.
That takes Dust Bunny to some wild places, with an action-heavy finale that goes crazy with the body count (though bloodless). It’s also a film that’s extremely funny. The rapport between Sloan and Mikkelsen, and especially with Weaver, brings the laughs aplenty. David Dastmalchian also exemplifies the film’s high-wire tonal balance of oddball comedy, horror, and whimsy.
Buried beneath it all lies a deeply poignant tale of a young girl with a tragic past, one who hasn’t quite lost that innocence but realizes her domestic life doesn’t match the norm. More than that, it’s a girl desperate to find solace in a makeshift family who will help her deal with her personal monsters, in true fairy tale form.
Fuller’s dazzling feature debut is the type of magical tale filled with quippy dialogue and zingers, an adorably vicious monster, boundless imagination, and a tremendous cast fully committed to the wacky scenarios Dust Bunny demands. It’s feel-good cinema at its finest, wholesome enough for the whole family but with just enough sharp teeth to entice budding horror fans into the genre.
Dust Bunny, guided by Fuller’s strong and distinct vision, easily stacks up against many of the formative gateway horror films of yesteryear. So much so that it feels all but destined for cult classic status. At the very least, this warm bear hug of a movie holds exciting promise for Fuller’s future directorial efforts.
Dust Bunny made its world premiere at TIFF and releases in theaters on December 5, 2025.
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