So Marcus’s Monday Night Mystery Movie happened again, and this time it was Dust Bunny. Let me tell you, this movie is exactly as unhinged as its premise. A 10-year-old girl hires a hitman to kill the monster under her bed that she swears ate her family. That’s what you’re walking into. That’s the elevator pitch. And honestly? I respect the confidence.
The thing is, Bryan Fuller is at the helm. When you have someone that imaginative in charge, an insane story becomes something pretty magical. This is exactly the kind of film that I would usually avoid like the plague. Someone threw the “horror” label on it, and I don’t know who in their right mind made that decision, but no. No. At least not in my head. It’s more hyper-stylized dark fantasy that winks the entire time.
And speaking of stylized—wow. This movie lives and dies on its aesthetic. The cinematography, the framing, the color grading, the set design, even the costumes… this thing is all in. It knows the story is bananas, and instead of holding back, it doubles down. That’s the sweet spot for a movie like this. You take me into a world where a little girl is hiring hitmen to fight monsters under the bed, give me style, give me mood, give me visuals that feel like they’re ripped from a twisted storybook, and Dust Bunny absolutely delivers.
Of course Fuller brought in Mads Mikkelsen—he worked with him on Hannibal, and when you have Mads on speed dial, you use him. And then Sigourney Weaver just saunters in and does precisely what Sigourney Weaver does. I will never say a bad thing about that woman. Ever. And young Sophie Sloan, who plays Aurora? That child elevates this movie in a way that keeps it above so many of these big-name director projects. She is impressive. I swear, these kids keep coming in and outclassing half of Hollywood.
Now let’s talk about the one element that didn’t work for me: the ending. Gah, here we go again—me sitting here baffled at how filmmakers can craft these beautiful, immersive worlds and stories and then fail to land the last act. I’m seeing this specifically in horror/thriller-leaning projects. They try to push the ending into this ultra-absurd place that completely jars you out of the experience. And Dust Bunny does that to a degree. It’s like they didn’t trust the story to… end. They felt the need to go bigger, weirder, more “let’s just tie this up into a bow no one asked for.”
But even with that, I’m still putting this firmly at a 4 out of 5 stars. The visuals alone warrant multiple viewings. The performances? Insane. It elevates it to a point where you just kind of… enjoy it. The whole thing is so silly, so cheeky. It’s honestly a fun ride.
If you can, catch this in a theater. It really helps you sink into all the stylized insanity. If not, stream the second it drops. I feel like you’ll enjoy the ride under the bed.
