Cognizance is confidence,
And knowledge makes a fellow brave.
But thinking one knows everything
Is the surest path to an early grave.

I know monsters are not real,
But should monstrosities exist,
My believing has no bearing
Once I’m in the monsters’ midst.
____________________

MPA rating: R (for violence but honestly it should be PG-13)

When people complain about there not being any original movies anymore, it’s a sign that they simply aren’t paying attention. While franchises may be Hollywood’s bread and butter, plenty of gems fly under the radar, and Dust Bunny is a prime example. Written and directed by TV maestro Bryan Fuller, the film is hard to categorize, towing the line between action, horror, fantasy, and family film to create a remarkably stylish and confident directorial debut.

Imagine if Roald Dahl wrote a dark fantasy in the John Wick universe. That comes close to describing Dust Bunny, wherein foster kid Aurora (Sophie Sloan) keeps having her families disappear, and she insists they were eaten by a monster under her bed. She eventually turns to her mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen), a hitman who can surely kill it for her, but they are soon beset by killers from without and a creature from below.

Part of the appeal of this genre mixing is that the characters think they are in different movies, so to speak. Aurora is entirely convinced that monsters that swim through the floorboards like a furry shark are real, while her new friend (known only as Resident 5B or Intriguing Neighbor) is equally convinced that she simply has a wild imagination and that his own wacky and ruthless world of contract killers is the true cause of her family troubles. In time, they bond over their loneliness and seek to protect each other, even as the fantasy and noir clash in deadly chaos, and Mikkelsen and Sloane have a great winking chemistry with each other, both well aware they know more than the other.

Another aspect I love is the production design, which I think was criminally snubbed for an Oscar nomination. The apartment building is an Art Nouveau time capsule from Hungary, and the ornate sets and dynamic wallpapers really give the film a unique and whimsical character. The costumes are also a stand-out, colorful and evocative of 1960s styles without ever specifying a time or place. So much of it is simply fun to look at, and there’s a chicken-butt lamp that made me laugh just seeing it.

In short, Dust Bunny is a strange delight, a showcase of hitmen and monsters and Sigourney Weaver firing guns in her heels. It also feels like a prime candidate for introducing older kids to darker themes; despite its R rating, much of it plays like a family film with zero profanity and little blood, though there are still mature elements like cutting up a body offscreen. With Hannibal and now this film, Mikkelsen and Fuller have a strong partnership, and I certainly hope they can collaborate on more projects like this.

Best line: (Intriguing Neighbor) “Monsters aren’t real.”
(Aurora) “Yes, they are. Don’t pretend.”
(Neighbor) “Grown-ups don’t pretend.”
(Aurora) “Grown-ups pretend not to be afraid, but they are… all the time.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2026 S.G. Liput
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