At first glance, the premise of Dust Bunny—the feature directorial debut from Hannibal visionary Bryan Fuller—might invite comparisons to Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional. Both stories center on a young girl seeking assistance from a neighborly hitman to eliminate the monster responsible for her parents’ disappearance. Yet, any surface-level similarity ends there. Fuller has instead crafted an experience that feels like a stylistic collision between the gothic whimsy of Tim Burton and the precise, vibrant aesthetic of Wes Anderson. It is a surreal, impeccably polished fairy tale that is now available to stream on HBO Max.
Fuller, known for the dreamlike palettes of Pushing Daisies and the grand mythos of American Gods, brings a new level of meticulous detail to this project. The film captures the visceral, claustrophobic dread of a childhood nightmare. Eight-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan) resides in a New York apartment that feels like a cross between a meticulously staged dollhouse and a Wes Anderson set. While her parents dismiss her fears as mere flights of fancy, Aurora is convinced that a malevolent creature lurks beneath her bed, waiting to snatch anyone who treads upon the floorboards. In her search for a protector, she turns to the mysterious tenant in unit 5B: Mads Mikkelsen.
Mikkelsen channels a stoic, John Wick-esque intensity here, utilizing a reserved, impenetrable demeanor that hides deep emotional reservoirs. His world is undeniably eccentric; his introduction features him dismantling a gang of assassins in a choreographed battle involving fireworks, shuriken, and cleavers. Fuller ingeniously blends reality with stylized animation to frame the fight from Aurora’s perspective, casting Mikkelsen’s character as a literal slayer of dragons. To secure his services, Aurora doesn’t hesitate to pilfer the church collection plate—a maneuver leading into a delightfully offbeat musical interlude.
As the plot deepens, 5B discovers that Aurora’s home life was targeted by forces hunting him, bringing a cavalcade of uniquely eccentric hitmen into the fray—each sporting elaborate costumes and lethal, highly specific combat methods. From Sigourney Weaver’s handler character, who wields stilettos that function as firearms, to assassins camouflaged against the apartment’s wallpaper, the film matches the body count of a blockbuster action movie while maintaining its bizarre, aesthetic-driven charm.
Ultimately, Dust Bunny transcends the action genre by leaning into dark, whimsical fantasy. Fuller excels at translating the subjective fear of a child into high-concept horror, from the unnerving sight of a tentacle-like claw dragging snacks beneath the bed to the reveal of the beast itself—a monster reminiscent of Maurice Sendak’s work, fueled by an insatiable, vengeful hunger. It is a bold, singular vision that proves Fuller is just as capable of commanding the big screen as he is the television landscape. While it avoids the trap of setting up a rote, franchise-heavy sequel, Dust Bunny remains a must-watch for its uncanny marriage of high-octane violence and childlike terror.
Dust Bunny is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Polygon
