Bryan Fuller’s feature debut Dust Bunny is both outrageous and oddly tender, a dark fairy tale pitched between horror and whimsy. The story centers on a ten year old girl who hires her neighbor, a hitman played by Mads Mikkelsen, to kill the monster living under her bed. Fuller embraces the absurd premise with gusto, turning it into a kaleidoscope of color, chaos, and creepiness. Sigourney Weaver and David Dastmalchian round out a supporting cast that thrives in Fuller’s off kilter world. The visuals are dazzling, shifting from storybook charm to grotesque nightmare in an instant.
Yet beneath the carnival of imagery lies a story of grief and connection, where monsters are both real and metaphorical. Mikkelsen plays the reluctant protector with deadpan humor, grounding the madness in humanity. Fuller’s trademark flair for mixing gore with camp is fully intact, but what surprises most is the film’s heart. Dust Bunny may make you laugh, gasp, and squirm, but it will also catch you off guard with its tenderness.
Dust Bunny premiered at TIFF ’25.
