Dust Bunny just came out in theaters here this week. The movie that didn’t really know what it wanted to be. Or something like that.
It was marketed as a horror film here. But it’s way too bloodless for that. I’d put it more in the dark fantasy category.
The story is pretty simple. The parents of a little girl get eaten by a monster under the bed.
The film borrows here and there. The most obvious one is Léon The Professional. The killer neighbor helps the girl who survives.
And I also got a tiny bit of Pan’s Labyrinth vibes. Only a tiny bit though. Pan’s Labyrinth is so dark, creative, and heartbreaking, Dust Bunny doesn’t come close. But seeing the world through Aurora’s eyes did remind me of it just a little.
Sophie Sloan as Aurora feels spot-on. David Dastmalchian could’ve basically wandered over from the set of Dexter 😉 but it worked. Sigourney Weaver is, as always, right on point.
And of course the star is Mads Mikkelsen. He plays the professional killer. And honestly, everything he plays is kinda cool 😂
I also liked the costumes. And the set design. Aurora’s apartment especially looked really good.
The movie isn’t anything special. But I liked it. It was something different. And dark fantasy in theaters isn’t exactly common.
It’s definitely not for kids, just because of the whole monster under the bed theme alone. And there are a couple scenes that aren’t for kids either.
For adults it might just be a bit too playful. That’s probably why the film has a hard time finding its audience.
So yeah, those are my thoughts on Dust Bunny