BTL Radio Show – 02/02/2026 with RENNY HARLIN talking THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3 and BRYAN FULLER discussing DUST BUNNY

This is a fun week for me on BEHIND THE LENS, given the two films that we’re talking about and the two filmmakers I’m speaking with.  It’s a great way to kick off my 44th year as a film critic (although I was published with reviews going back 5 years before that)!  Today you’ll hear from one of my all-time favorite directors, RENNY HARLIN, as we talk about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3, which now completes his trilogy of the rebooted classic.  And, then a new fave writer/director BRYAN FULLER, who makes his feature directorial debut with the sumptuous and fun visual feast, DUST BUNNY.    So, let’s get started!

First up – RENNY HARLIN and THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3.

The Strangers began back in 2008 thanks to w/d Bryan Bertino, who treated us to the tale of James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together.  Hopeful bliss turned into terror, making their stay a bloody nightmare.  In 2018, director Johannes Roberts, with a script by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai, rebooted the franchise with The Strangers: Prey at Night, starring Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, and Christina Hendricks.  It was always Johannes’s intent to do a sequel, but that didn’t pan out.  But then in 2024, RENNY HARLIN stepped into the franchise with what has become a three-chapter series with all three films shot at the same time over 53 days of principal photography, with a cast led by Madelaine Petsch.

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, we met Maya and Rory, whose car breaks down in the creepy and eerie small mountain town of Venus, forcing them to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.

In 2025, Renny gave us the next chilling chapter with Madelaine Petsch returning as Maya, and joining her are, among others, Gabriel Basso and Richard Brake.  Chapter 2 picks up the morning after Chapter 1 ended, where we find Maya as the sole survivor of The Strangers’ murdering spree of the previous night.  But the night’s events aren’t over as she must now do everything in her power to survive the continued, relentless attacks from the masked killers.  The film expanded from a cabin to the town and forested areas, becoming very physical, very tactile, and very visceral.

Now, we have the final piece of the puzzle with THE STRANGERS CHAPTER 3.  Maya is again the last woman standing. She survived what she thought was the worst of the worst, but now she must move on.  But how to do that, when she must face the masked killers one last time in a brutal, full-circle reckoning of survival and revenge. This final chapter is very internalized, very observational as Maya tries to absorb what all has happened while trying to understand the psyche of these masked psychopaths.  Where lighting and lensing were the key tools in the cinematic toolbox for Chapter 2, sound becomes all-important with CHAPTER 3.  And that’s what Renny and I focus on in this exclusive interview, once again very short on time for real in-depth analysis, but we did our best.

Highlighting the film’s psychological depth and sound design, Renny emphasizes not only the importance of sound in creating tension, such as a diner scene and Maya’s limping footsteps, but also describes the meticulous process of recreating sounds.  We also delve into the significance of a saw mill location and how that inspired Renny to alter the story with some creative additions.  We also talk about his use of needle drops, like Heart’s “Crazy On You” and  “Knights in White Satin,” to enhance the story’s impact.  The film’s internalized psychological aspects and the seamless integration of sound and visuals are extremely well done.  So take a listen as RENNY HARLIN talks THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3.

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3 is in theatres on February 6, 2026.

Switching gears into a film that I absolutely love is my conversation with writer/director BRYAN FULLER, talking DUST BUNNY.  This is a cacophony of creativity and truly a sumptuous visual feast!  How the work of production designer Jeremy Reed was ignored by the Academy members in Oscar nominations is beyond me.  His work, in concert with that of costume designers Olivier Beriot and Catherine LaTerrier, and cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, is vibrant, alive, and magical.

DUST BUNNY may be Bryan’s first feature directorial, but he is no stranger to creativity as a writer for Star Trek – Discovery, Voyager, Deep Space 9, Hannibal, Pushing Daisies, and so much more.

Written and directed by Bryan Fuller, DUST BUNNY stars Mads Mikkelson, Sigourney Weaver, and a scene-stealing performance by Sophie Sloan as the precociously adorable Aurora.

In DUST BUNNY, ten-year-old Aurora (Sophie Sloan) has an intriguing neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters – a hit man for hire. When Aurora needs help killing the monster that ate her family, she procures his services. Suspecting that her parents may have fallen victim to hit men gunning for him, Aurora’s neighbor guiltily takes the job. To protect Aurora, he’ll need to contend with an onslaught of assassins, a mysterious associate with killer heels (Sigourney Weaver), and accept that some monsters are real in this fantastical and wickedly inventive feature directorial debut from visionary creator Bryan Fuller.

DUST BUNNY fuels creativity and imagination, not only in Bryan but in anyone watching the film.  In this exclusive interview, we go deep into the film’s visuals and creative elements, and visual references and themes to things like Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and of course, Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner.  Emphasizing the importance of imagination and creativity, Bryan discusses his own childhood influences, which come bubbling forth here.  Giving lots of love and praise to his collaborators, notably many of whom are female, we break down color, lighting, lensing, production design, costume, and music, with all designed to maintain Aurora’s perspective.  We also have a few thoughts on the film garnering an R-rating versus PG-13 (which I believe it should have been.)

How can you not want to see a film premised upon “A little girl hires a hitman to kill the monster under her bed”!   Take a listen as writer/director BRYAN FULLER takes us through DUST BUNNY from inception to visual splendor.

DUST BUNNY is available now on Digital.

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