This Fantastical Action Movie Is The Closest We'll Ever Get To A 'Hannibal' Revival
It’s been over a decade since Hannibal (2013) was canceled, and people still aren’t over it. Hannibal is a disturbing yet artistically fulfilling take on police procedurals that ran for three seasons and has enough shocking imagery, deep character drama, and horrific set pieces to make any horror fan swoon. Since its cancellation, fans have been searching for something to fill the hole in their hearts left by the charismatic cannibal.
Thankfully, our prayers have (somewhat) been answered. While Bryan Fuller hasn’t announced a fourth season of Hannibal, he has released a new film that not only is sitting at #6 on the streaming charts, but also captures a lot of the same dark charm and beautiful imagery that wowed fans all the way back in Pushing Daisies (2007). Fuller also decided to reunite with Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen and create a dark action fantasy that feels like a cross between Logan (2017) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). If you’ve ever considered yourself a fan of stylish action movies, then head over to HBO Max and give Dust Bunny (2025) a watch this instant.
What Is ‘Dust Bunny’ About?
Dust Bunny is Bryan Fuller’s attempt at making a “family horror film,” and it certainly lives up to the claim. It centers around a young girl named Aurora, who thinks that a monster lives under her bed. Worse, that monster has eaten her parents after they suddenly disappear. With no one else to turn to, she decides to ask her reclusive, nameless neighbor for help, since she discovered one night that he “kills monsters.” In reality, he’s a hitman and is initially resistant to helping her, thinking that her story is just the product of a child with an overactive imagination, but eventually he agrees. Whether it’s because of pity, guilt, or simply because she paid him is unclear, but he’s going to do what it takes to get the job done by killing the monster under her bed.
What makes the plot of Dust Bunny work mostly comes down to how it blends fiction and reality. Aurora always has one foot firmly planted in a world of wonder and whimsy, but her neighbor is pragmatic. Everything has a logical and rational explanation, and he refuses even to entertain the idea that there actually is a monster under her bed. There has to be some practical explanation for why her parents disappeared. But just as the neighbor thinks a person is responsible for Aurora’s plight, Aurora is just as convinced it was the monster who caused it. The charm of Dust Bunny comes from having their different outlooks clash, yet they never resent each other, and their back-and-forth is pretty adorable.
How ‘Dust Bunny’ Captures The ‘Hannibal’ Charm
It may seem weird to call a film by the creator of Hannibal cute, but even at its most whimsical, there’s still some of that Hannibal bite in Dust Bunny that makes it a worthy follow-up. Obviously, the presence of Mads Mikkelsen does a lot to help. Fuller understands that Mikkelsen is at his best when he doesn’t have much to say. The neighbor’s dialogue is sparse, but it has weight to it. He’s always in control of whatever scene he’s in, and while it may be a bit unusual to see him in action scenes that seem more on par with John Wick (2014) than Hannibal, he’s still able to hold his own and deliver a few good kills.
Plus, if you’re one of the people who loved the dynamic Dr. Lecter had with Gillian Anderson’s Bedelia, then the scenes where the neighbor talks with his handler, played by Sigourney Weaver, will give you warm and fuzzy flashbacks to those sharp and witty exchanges.
But above all else, there’s an artistry in Dust Bunny that makes it a work of art. Fuller knows how to design a set and stage a shot, and whether it’s disgusting corpses or neon-drenched streets, his projects are always visually stunning. Despite the film only being an hour and 46 minutes, you’ll become intimately familiar with the sets. Aurora’s apartment, the restaurant the neighbor frequents, and even the elevator in their apartment building are all eye-catching and impossible to ignore. There’s a sense of heightened realism in every frame of the film. While it definitely skews more toward the family side of Fuller’s “family horror film” concept, when Dust Bunny wants to channel some suspense and dread that made Hannibal a true delicacy, it does so masterfully.
Why To Watch ‘Dust Bunny’
Whether you’re looking for a dark coming-of-age story or a quirky action movie, Dust Bunny does everything in its power to make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, and it works way more than it doesn’t.
Dust Bunny does a great job at constantly keeping you guessing, thanks to the great dynamic between Aurora and the neighbor, as well as their adamant belief that they’re each right about what happened to her parents. The film’s so well written that even up to the climax, you don’t know who to believe, so the new layers of intrigue only serve to help you get more and more invested in what’s going on. Add in a splash of action and comedy, and you have a film that surprisingly achieves Fuller’s vision of family-friendly horror.
Following up on a masterpiece like Hannibal is no easy task, but Dust Bunny does a great job at reminding fans what made that series so great. Fuller has a distinct voice that knows how to make a great story, and the way that he works with Mads Mikkelsen brings out the best in him. If we never get a fourth season of Hannibal, then its spirit will continue for years to come, as long as the pair continue to work with each other in projects like Dust Bunny.
