Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strong violence in horror fantasy about bedroom monster.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Dust Bunny
What's the Story?
In DUST BUNNY, 8-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan) has a monster under her bed. One night, the monster eats her parents. Curious, she follows her neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) and witnesses him killing a dragon in Chinatown. So she steals money from a collection basket in a church and offers to hire him to kill her monster the way he killed the dragon. Both of them are harboring secrets; once the truth comes out, the battle for their lives begins.
Is It Any Good?
This dazzling, imaginative fantasy horror movie moves fluidly and inventively at first, then gets more frenetic and reckless—but it's still a unique, memorable time spent with monsters. The feature writing and directing debut of Bryan Fuller—a TV veteran who's worked on shows including Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and Star Trek: Discovery—Dust Bunny tries everything. The first half-hour is impressively kinetic, a dark fantasy that recalls the work of Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Terry Gilliam. Every movement clicks into place with admirable precision. The design—a big-city apartment building, the strange wardrobe—challenges Wes Anderson movies.
It builds with wonderment, until it gets to a point in which all the details are revealed, and then, with nothing left, it becomes a crazy chase and a violent showdown, less imaginative than the start, but still satisfying. Dust Bunny is perhaps a lesson in restraint and in pacing, but it's also a glorious example of fantasy storytelling that isn't afraid to go wild, chewing through the floors and reaching for the skies with shockingly long teeth and claws.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dust Bunny's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?
Why do you think many kids imagine monsters under their beds? Why don't adults typically believe them?
The movie is partly about people taking responsibility for their actions, including wishing for a monster. How might this work?
Do characters demonstrate courage?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 12, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : January 13, 2026
- Cast : Mads Mikkelsen , Sophie Sloan , Sheila Atim
- Director : Bryan Fuller
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Roadside Attractions , Lionsgate
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Dragons , Monsters )
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some violence
- Last updated : December 10, 2025
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