08/05/2026

FRIDAY | MAY 8, 2026

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LYFE

MOVIE REVIEW

Messy, moody monster A NYTHING but a clean film, Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny is uneven, indulgent and occasionally frustrating, but o Style shines, story stumbles in Bryan Fuller’s bold debut Ű BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR Mikkelsen previously played the cannibal Dr Hannibal Lecter in Fuller’s Hannibal series.

rather than its uneven computer generated imagery (CGI). Leads hold it together Dust Bunny holds together better once it establishes the central relationship between Mikkelsen’s 5B and Sophie’s Aurora. Rather than play a hitman that behaves as aloof as the visuals around him, the Danish leading man plays the role with restraint, neither over-explaining nor softening the character. Opposite him, Sophie carries the emotional core of the film, grounding the film when everything else drifts. The dynamic somewhat holds the shape of the film, as without the performance of the duo, the film would easily collapse under its own ideas. POP star Billie Eilish joined forces with famed filmmaker James Cameron to bring her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour to the big screen. Released theatrically by Paramount Pictures today, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) is co-directed by the multi-Grammy winner, 24, and the Avatar and Titanic filmmaker, 71. Shot mainly during the Manchester leg of the musician’s 2024-25 world tour, the film combines Billie’s hit-packed performance with intimate and reflective moments off the stage. Cameron reached out with an “idea ready to go”, said Billie, premiering the film in London recently and getting to work with him was “a complete dream”. “This is my favourite show that I’ve ever created and favourite tour I’ve ever been on. And the fact that it’s going to be captured forever – and it’s also in 3D so everyone that didn’t get to see it can live it... I’m just so grateful,” she said. Cameras, at times operated by Cameron, capture Billie as she

When the different elements click, the film becomes striking, and when it does not, the film comes apart as easily as actual dust bunnies. It is hard not to draw parallels to Fuller’s vision and execution of Hannibal , but that is certainly the case with how he approached Dust Bunny , his debut feature film. Like it, the film’s strongest element is its visual identity. Fuller leans hard into stylisation with controlled lighting, heavy colours and artificial sets, resulting in a film that looks like a storybook filtered through a nightmare. Audiences will get wide frames that feel composed rather than natural and sequences that prioritise mood over logic, just like how dreams tend to play out in deep sleep. It is a deliberate step away from realism and towards theatrical fantasy. For the most part, it works in the film’s favour and at other times, Dust Bunny feels like it would have benefitted from a more personal touch – such as using animatronics –

Dust Bunny takes a while before it finds its rhythm with Aurora (left) and 5B. – PICS FROM LIONSGATE

more focused, with the later stretch becoming tighter, more emotional and closer to what the film seems to want to be from the start. Dust Bunny works best when approached for its whimsical tone

The aforementioned blend of genres results in Dust Bunny being full of scenes that mix whimsy and violence, with several of them not always landing well and coming across like they belong in a different film. Though it worked exceedingly well in Hannibal , Fuller’s emphasis on style over clarity harms Dust Bunny as the filmmaker’s prioritisation of how a scene looks often takes over how it reads, leading to striking and vivid imagery that fails to connect to the narrative. Late focus finds shape Though the film is very rough around the edges, particularly as it tries to find its footing in the first 30 years, it does improve as it goes.

it also shows a director with a clear voice and resolve to push tone and genre in ways most studio films typically avoid. Built around a simple hook, the film revolves around the hitman known as Resident 5B (Mads Mikkelsen) being hired by the eight-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan) to kill the monster under her bed after it kills her parents. Unlike Fuller’s more “out there” projects such as his Hannibal series, Dust Bunny’s premise is simple and stripped back enough that makes it tangible to go in several directions. Fuller chooses all of them.

0 Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie S loan, Sigourney Weaver, Sheila Atim, David Dastmalchian 0 Director: Bryan Fuller

and Fuller’s intent with the film’s leads’ relationship, but this is not the film to go into expecting tight writing. The film, ultimately, is an auteur-driven film built on visuals, mood and feeling that is reminiscent of Fuller’s earlier work, which means it has its trade-offs.

E-VALUE 5 ACTING

That said, the film has problems, right from its opening act that plunges its leads and the audience into Fuller’s vision, throwing tone, backstory and visual ideas at the viewer without first structuring itself. Billie Eilish, James Cameron team up for immersive, intimate tour film Genre clash, visual punch Horror, fantasy, dark comedy and emotional drama sit side-by-side in Dust Bunny , often in the same scene. Once it locks into its central relationship and stops overloading itself, Fuller’s storytelling becomes PLOT

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mind – and her kind of creative soul and into her relationship with the fans and what it means to them. I find it quite heartfelt, in addition to the music and the show being great,” Cameron said. The candid behind-the-scenes moments were Cameron’s idea, Billie said. “I wasn’t originally going to do that. He was like, ‘People want to see it’ and I’m now really, really glad that is part of the movie and I’m excited for people to see it,” she said. The performance is brought to life with 17 cameras, said Cameron, many placed in the audience and catching raw emotions. This is Billie’s second concert film and follows successful tour movies by superstars Taylor Swift and Beyonce, which topped the box office and gave a boost to cinemas. “I think people like that communal experience. I think Billie’s fans like to go together, it creates not only a bond with Billie, but a bond with each other. They feel like it’s a shared emotional experience. I’d be surprised if they don’t sing back,” said Cameron. – Reuters

The film releases today. – IMDBPIC prepares to take the stage, warming up her voice, getting her ankles taped and applying her make-up. In calmer moments, buoyed by the director, she opens up about the origins and the motivations of her performance style and attire. “It gets more into her heart and her

Billie (left) and Cameron. – REUTERSPIC