Dust Bunny Review (2025): Bryan Fuller’s Dark Fairy Tale Is Brutal, Bizarre, and Unforgettable

What if the monster under the bed was real — and it was protecting you?

Dust Bunny is one of the strangest, boldest genre films of 2025. Directed and written by Bryan Fuller in his feature-film debut, this action thriller blends hitman noir, childlike horror, and dark fantasy into something that feels both deeply unsettling and oddly tender.

Led by a stone-cold yet soulful Mads Mikkelsen, Dust Bunny is not a film that plays it safe — and that’s exactly why it stands out.

Quick Verdict (TL;DR)

Dust Bunny is a violent, surreal fairy tale masquerading as an action thriller. It’s emotionally disturbing, visually strange, and surprisingly heartfelt. Not for everyone — but unforgettable for those who click with it.

What Is Dust Bunny About?

At the center of the film is Aurora, an eight-year-old girl who believes a monster under her bed has eaten her family.

Her unlikely savior is Resident 5B, a professional hitman living across the hall — a man she once saw “kill a dragon” (actually gang members in a Chinatown ambush).

As Aurora tries to hire him to kill the monster, the truth fractures into something far darker:

• her parents were assassinated

• multiple hitmen are hunting 5B

• Aurora may be connected to something far more dangerous

And the monster?

It’s real.

And it’s watching.

Bryan Fuller’s Vision: Horror Through a Child’s Eyes

What makes Dust Bunny different from standard action thrillers is perspective.

The story unfolds through Aurora’s emotional reality:

• monsters are literal

• adults are unreliable

• violence feels mythic, not procedural

Fuller leans into fairy-tale logic:

• assassins become dragons

• gunfire feels like thunder

• the monster is both protector and threat

It’s unsettling — and intentionally so.

Performances That Make the Madness Work

Mads Mikkelsen as Resident 5B

Mikkelsen delivers a quiet, controlled performance — a killer who barely speaks, yet radiates exhaustion and guilt. He doesn’t soften the character, but he makes his bond with Aurora believable.

Sophie Sloan as Aurora

Sloan is the film’s emotional anchor. Her performance walks a tightrope between innocence and something eerily knowing — crucial for a story where imagination and reality collide.

Sigourney Weaver as Laverne

Weaver brings cold authority to the role of 5B’s handler. Her presence grounds the film whenever it risks floating too far into fantasy.

Sheila Atim as Brenda

Atim adds emotional intelligence as a child protection agent whose role twists sharply in the final act.

The Monster: Horror With Meaning

The “dust bunny” isn’t just a creature feature gimmick.

It represents:

• suppressed trauma

• a child’s need for control

• the violence adults refuse to explain

The final act — where Aurora literally commands the monster to stop — reframes the entire film as a story about owning fear instead of being consumed by it.

It’s disturbing.

And strangely empowering.

Genre Mash-Up Done Right

Dust Bunny successfully blends:

• action thriller

• noir assassin drama

• supernatural horror

• dark coming-of-age fantasy

That combination won’t work for everyone — but when it works, it hits hard.

This is closer in spirit to Pan’s Labyrinth than John Wick.

Festival Reception & Release Info

• World Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival – September 9, 2025

• U.S. Theatrical Release: December 12, 2025

The TIFF premiere positioned Dust Bunny as a genre-bending prestige thriller, and reactions reflected that — polarized, but passionate.

Who Should Watch Dust Bunny?

Watch if you enjoy:

• dark, unconventional thrillers

• symbolic horror

• emotionally heavy storytelling

• Mads Mikkelsen in morally complex roles

Skip if you want:

• clean explanations

• traditional action pacing

• comforting resolutions

Dust Bunny isn’t easy.

It’s not neat.

And it definitely isn’t safe.

But it’s the kind of film that sticks with you, forcing you to rethink what monsters really are — and who gets to control them.

Bryan Fuller didn’t make a crowd-pleaser.He made a modern dark fairy tale.