WILDLY WICKED
Movie Review – Dust Bunny
Review by Ray Schillaci
The description of Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny can be misleading. A little girl believes the monster under her bed is real. Of course, her parents do not believe her until they disappear one night with the room in shambles. She then goes off and hires a hitman, who happens to be a neighbor in one of the apartment units in her building, to kill the beast. Here is a story that could have easily gone off the rails in just about anybody else’s hands, but writer/director Bryan Fuller brings a wonderful touch of wicked whimsy to it, delivering a unique updated type of Brothers Grimm tale with an innate sense of sardonic humor.
What captures our eye immediately is the marvelous production design by Jeremy Reed and the dizzying cinematography by Nicole Hirsch Whitaker. Director Fuller has taken their talents and guided them into almost Tim Burton territory – as far as the imagination can take us. That’s not to say that Fuller lifts from Burton, but he may be inspired and that only makes his unusual tale so much more fun.
To add spice to this already wondrous mix, Bryan Fuller has assembled a pitch perfect cast that plays off each other beautifully. Mads Mikkelson (billed as the Intriguing Neighbor) is the no-nonsense hitman who has unique ways of disposing of his prey. He is a lone wolf not to be trifled with. Yet, somehow, some way, eight year-old Aurora has wormed her way into his thoughts after she insists she witnessed him dispose of a monster (a dragon) in the streets of Chinatown. She has deviously attained over three hundred dollars and change to acquire his services.
Sophie Sloan as Aurora is both delightful and devilishly cute. One is never sure what she is up to. Does she have an over-active imagination or is she secretly a bad seed? She and the writer keep us guessing throughout all the twists and turns of the film. One thing is for sure, her parents are missing and the hitman believes it’s possible that somebody was out to get him and wandered into the wrong apartment, leaving her as a witness and a target.
The hitman pays a visit to his handler, Laverne, ruthlessly played by Sigouney Weaver, and relays the incident and his thoughts. Not only does Laverne tell him that too many people want him dead, but he needs to kill the little girl since she’s seen his face. Yes, he’s a hitman, but he draws the line at killing a child.
He finds himself in a precarious position trying to figure out who is trying to kill him, who may be coming after the girl, and unraveling the mystery behind this eight year-old enigma. The banter between Aurora and the hitman is priceless, let alone some of the antics in which they find themselves involved. To divulge anything else about this funhouse of a ride would be a shame. This film is such a joy to behold, it gives faith back to the creative end of filmmaking and provides the audience with the biggest smile in the end.
Dust Bunny is currently streaming on HBOMAX, and is available to rent or purchase on Prime, Apple and Fandango
4K, Blu-ray, and DVD have just released as well.
Visit Ray’s blog at themonsterinmyhead.com
Directed by: Bryan Fuller
Run Time: 106 Minutes
Rated: R
Country: U.S.A.
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
