Dust Bunny
- Ben Pivoz
- a few seconds ago
- 3 min read
Dust Bunny is an odd genre mixture. It is a drama about an abandoned girl, a thriller about a hitman, a monster movie and a dark fairytale. The feature directorial debut of celebrated television writer/director/creator Bryan Fuller (best known for the gothic horror series Hannibal), it is carried by his sense of visual style and interesting juggling of tones. The story isn’t much and the supporting characters are almost distractingly quirky, especially considering how thin all of the characters are. However, the two central performances are likable and there is something engaging to look at in every frame.
It is all style and barely any substance. That is a feature, not a bug. It succeeds because of its focus on aesthetics over storytelling. Despite how familiar its individual pieces are, the way Fuller combines them here is pretty entertaining.
Aurora is a little girl who believes there is a man-eating monster under her bed. She becomes convinced that her across the hall neighbor is a monster hunter, so she hires him to kill her monster.
Dust Bunny (98 minutes, plus a mid-credit scene) is like The Professional meets Gunpowder Milkshake, with a small splash of horror and liberal helpings of whimsy. Nothing in this feels like it takes place in anything even remotely resembling the real world, so the relationship between a dangerous killer and a lonely little girl doesn’t come off as problematic. She is the instigator. He is curious about what is going on in her apartment, though reluctant to actually get involved.
Her story is a lot more intriguing than his, perhaps because it contains some element of mystery. Is there really a monster? Or is she creating a fantasy to make the horror of her life more understandable? If it isn’t a monster, then what is going on? His is a more straightforward revenge plot that the screenplay thankfully spends very little time bothering to explain.
Bryan Fuller is highly regarded for his visual creativity. The way he uses it here is certainly eye-catching. His staging, framing, lighting and costuming is impressive, though there were times where I wondered if it was all necessary. While he does an excellent job of creating distinctive spaces, some of his touches are a tad disruptive. I was actively noticing the production design, instead of just absorbing it as part of the package. That is not a good thing, but man is there some cool stuff here. The look of Aurora’s apartment is beautiful, intimidating, intimate and full of endless possibilities. This is a movie where stills from it could be hung on your wall as art.
What prevents Dust Bunny from floating away into self-satisfied excess is the performance from Mads Mikkelsen as the adult lead, never named, yet referred to in the credits as “Intriguing Neighbor.” We never learn much about this man. He is a killer with many potential enemies who has personal ties to a probable crime boss played by a far too amused Sigourney Weaver. Otherwise, he is an enigma. There is an extremely clever sequence early on where, returning to his apartment after killing several people, he quietly slips off his shoes to use his socks to discreetly wipe up the blood dripping on the floor from his face.
He is clearly good at what he does. He helps this girl less because she is desperate and more because he wants to know what is going on. He doesn’t want to care. Caring could put her in danger. It is a simple character that Mikkelsen lends intelligence and humanity to. As Aurora, Sophie Sloan needs to be cute and precocious. She pulls that off well, making for a charming odd-couple with Mikkelsen.
It is obvious that way more thought was put into set-design, costume design, editing and movement than in plot or character. That is okay as long as those things click enough to make the movie worth viewing. That is the case with Dust Bunny. Bryan Fuller finally has his opportunity to put something on the big screen. While the narrative is not original, his vision for it is.
3½ out of 5
Cast:
Mads Mikkelsen as Intriguing Neighbor
Sophie Sloan as Aurora
Sigourney Weaver as Laverne
Written/Directed by Bryan Fuller