Dust Bunny, the feature film debut of television creator Bryan Fuller, is being highlighted as one of the most original monster films of the past decade and a recommended late-night watch on HBO Max. Fuller, known for cult television hits such as Pushing Daisies and Hannibal, brings his distinctive whimsical yet violent visual style to the film, which stars his Hannibal collaborator Mads Mikkelsen. What initially appears to be a straightforward creature feature is, according to the review, actually a layered metaphor for childhood trauma, elevating it above typical genre fare.

The plot follows ten-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan), who conjures a monster from dust bunnies under her bed; after it kills her foster parents, she hires her neighbourhood hitman, Mikkelsen's morally ambiguous "Intriguing Neighbour", to destroy it. The film explores themes of abandonment and toxic parental relationships, with Sigourney Weaver playing the Neighbour's villainous mother, Laverne. Fuller's trademark bright, fantastical production design creates an alternate, magical-realist version of New York City, and the review praises Mikkelsen's ability to balance menace and charm in the role.