A monstrous murder-for-hire plot is child's play in the delightful Dust Bunny
TV visionary Bryan Fuller makes his debut feature with a macabre yet whimsical tale of kids and killers.
Photo: Lionsgate
The drudgery of adult life tends to, over time, dull our baseline primordial senses. Instead of feeling acutely aware of the danger of a stalking predator—something that motivates an innate fear of darkness—we instead stress about bills, childcare, the IRS. These bureaucratic social constructs take the form of the boogeyman for many, but even so, sometimes that sense of being watched still raises the hair on the back of one’s neck, though we usually dismiss it as an irrational, involuntary response. But the baseless childhood fear of a monster lurking under the bed becomes a tangible threat to those of all ages in Dust Bunny, the directorial debut from visionary TV writer and showrunner Bryan Fuller. Toning down the blood-drenched viscera of Hannibal while channeling the morbid yet whimsical stylings of Pushing Daisies, Fuller’s inaugural film effort is completely in tune with his previous narrative interests, though this time filtered through the gaze of a precocious child.
Aurora (adorable newcomer Sophie Sloan), like most kids, feels uneasy at night. She swears that she hears the floorboards under her bed creak and groan with the movement of a terrifying beast that resides below. She’s discerned that if someone sets a single toe on the floor during the evening, the monster will spring free and devour them whole. Her horrified screams aren’t enough to convince her less-than-nurturing foster parents, who from the doorway coldly instruct the girl to go back to bed. But one night, after failing to heed her advice, they’re attacked by a huge, hairy creature, leaving her without a family once again. Forced to fend for herself (albeit in a cushy luxury apartment), Aurora grows desperate. During one of her lonely evenings, she discreetly follows a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen, reuniting with Fuller) from across the hall. She sees him slay what she believes is a mythical dragon, and an idea pops into her head: she could get this guy to murder her monster.
