Bryan Fuller Explains Why Gateway Horror Movie ‘Dust Bunny’ is Rated “R”
“Hannibal” creator Bryan Fuller’s utterly charming feature directorial debut, Dust Bunny, earned an “R” rating from the MPAA last month, a surprising move considering its youthful lead and wholesome gateway horror leanings. The sweet, whimsical tale of a girl who hires a hitman to solve her pesky monster-under-the-bed problem is fairly bloodless, though it’s not without […]
“Hannibal” creator Bryan Fuller’s utterly charming feature directorial debut, Dust Bunny, earned an “R” rating from the MPAA last month, a surprising move considering its youthful lead and wholesome gateway horror leanings.
The sweet, whimsical tale of a girl who hires a hitman to solve her pesky monster-under-the-bed problem is fairly bloodless, though it’s not without violence.
Yet, Fuller’s debut was rated “R“ for “some violence“ ahead of its release on December 12.
The filmmaker, whose debut film was just nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, explained why Dust Bunny’s style of violence provoked the MPAA when speaking with The Horror Queers podcast ahead of the film’s release.
“This is an R-rated film. We were stunned, too. The MPAA is notorious about being really hard on independent movies and a little more lax on studio films,“ Fuller says.” There are lawsuits against the MPAA from independent studios over how much stricter they are with independents than they are over studio fare. I mean, M3GAN murdered children and ripped their ears off and slaughtered somebody with a paper cutter, and that was PG-13.”
Sophie Sloan as Aurora in Roadside Attractions’ Dust Bunny
It wasn’t something as severe as an ear-ripping that landed the “R“ rating, but another non-lethal bodily injury.
“[Dust Bunny has] no nudity. There’s no foul language. You know, it’s a conversation with the MPAA. We got an R rating. They said what put us over the edge was the non-lethal toothbrush injury.”
“I thought we were making a movie for the whole family, and I definitely wanted it to be a gateway experience where 10-year-olds would see this movie and say, ‘Yes, give me more.‘ That was certainly my experience seeing The Wizard of Oz and having my appetite whetted. And then, seeing Alien when I was 9 years old and seeing Black Christmas when I was seven, and those types of things that I loved. I wasn’t traumatized by them. I was just excited to see people survive their stories.”
“So there’s something about the strangeness of the MPAA with independent movies, and I thought this was a family film, and so many people who have seen it feel like it’s a family film. I hope it’s a lot of kids’ first R-rated movie that they get to see and experience. I would tell adults, ‘ Look, if you’re on the fence, see it first, and you’ll see that it’s a really fun, rompy movie about a child, who is wonderful in the film and a great heroine and protagonist, that can be aspirational for other children her age in the story.‘”
I can attest that it does deliver on a wonderful, heartwarming gateway horror experience. I wrote in my review out of TIFF, “Dust Bunny, guided by Fuller’s strong and distinct vision, easily stacks up against many of the formative gateway horror films of yesteryear. So much so that it feels all but destined for cult classic status.”
You can hear the full chat with Fuller on the upcoming Dust Bunny episode of The Horror Queers’ podcast, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday.
