Sundance Film Festival Review: ‘Bunnylovr’ Never Does Enough With Its Premise

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch a film slowly but surely waste its potential. When the germ of a good idea is there, seeing it go down the tubes is not a fun experience. In the case of Bunnylovr, it’s quickly evident that the possibilities of the premise are not going to be explored. Playing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it’s a movie that wears out its welcome long before the credits roll.

Bunnylovr has the makings of a good flick, given the character being studied. The thing is, for a character study to work, the protagonist needs to do things worth paying attention to. This film opts to meander and stretch out a paper-thin plot, to the point where it feels more like the outline for a short than for a feature.

We meet cam-girl Rebecca (Katarina Zhu) in the midst of a session with her fans. It’s not a huge following, but people do tune in. She earns her living that way, spending her free time with spoiled artist friend Bella (Rachel Sennott). Rebecca is also in the early stages of dealing with a breakup, something she claims isn’t an issue, but rears its head from time to time. Life is about to get complicated, which she is wholly unprepared for.

When Rebecca’s absentee father William (Perry Yung) seeks to re-enter her life, it throws her for a loop. At the same time, one of her fans (Austin Amelio) begins tipping more and asking more of her, including private video sessions. Soon, he’s gifted her a rabbit, one he seems to have an unusual predilection for involving in their games. It’s clearly toxic and unhealthy, but Rebecca is reeling just enough to be susceptible to it all.

Katarina Zhu does some solid work in the lead role, she just doesn’t have a ton to dig into. Rachel Sennott is absolutely wasted, while Austin Amelio doesn’t leave much more than a creepy impression. It’s Zhu’s show, and she’s a compelling presence, to be sure. She just needs more to work with. Supporting players, in addition to Perry Yung, include Jack Kilmer, but he doesn’t get much to do, either.

Also serving as writer/director, Katarina Zhu has solid filmmaking chops, crafting some simple yet interesting visuals, but it’s an incomplete package. Her script feels like a work in progress, at best, while her editing and pacing leave something to be desired. A meandering feel, as well as a plot that goes nowhere slowly, suggests that her best days behind the camera are still ahead.

Bunnylovr is a bore, plain and simple. The premise of a cam-girl and her toxic relationships have a lot of potential. Sadly, almost none of it is realized here. This is one of the more disappointing Sundance titles so far this year, given what it could have been. Alas.

SCORE: ★★