Bunnylovr

Last updated

Bunnylovr
Directed byKatarina Zhu
Screenplay byKatarina Zhu
Produced by
  • Tristan Scott-Behrends
  • Ani Schroeter
  • Rhianon Jones
  • Roger Mancusi
  • Rachel Sennott
Starring
CinematographyDaisy Zhou
Edited byStephania Dulowski
Production
companies
Release date
  • January 25, 2025 (2025-01-25)(Sundance)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bunnylovr is a 2025 American drama film written, directed and starring Katarina Zhu. The film follows a Chinese-American cam girl who navigates a toxic client relationship while reconnecting with her dying father.

Contents

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025, where it received mixed reviews from critics.

Premise

A drifting Chinese American cam girl struggles to navigate an increasingly toxic relationship with one of her clients while rekindling her relationship with her dying estranged father. [1]

Cast

Production

In October 2024, it was announced that filming wrapped in New York City. [2]

Release

The film premiered on January 25, 2025, at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. [3]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 55% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. [4] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [5]

Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Bunnylovr's strengths are in its engaging character study of a languid young woman who came of age online. It's not a novel portrait, but Zhu makes it wholly her own. We watch Becca, a Chinese-American woman, float from one interaction to the next, eliding the intimacy of being present." [6] Katie Rife of IndieWire graded the film a B-. [7]

Chase Hutchinson of TheWrap wrote, "It’s a flawed debut feature — there is a fundamental distance between us and the film's main character — but Zhu shows immense promise." [8]

References

  1. "Program Guide | 2025 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  2. Wiseman, Andreas (October 15, 2024). "'Bunnylovr': Austin Amelio, Perry Yung, Rachel Sennott & Jack Kilmer Among Cast For Katarina Zhu's Feature Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  3. D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  4. "Bunnylovr". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  5. "Bunnylovr". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  6. Gyarkye, Lovia (January 26, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: A Camgirl Struggles to Connect in a Feature Debut That's Delicate to a Fault". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  7. Rife, Katie (January 26, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: An Empathetic but Aimless NYC Indie About an Alienated Camgirl". IndieWire. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  8. Hutchinson, Chase (January 25, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: Director/Star Katarina Zhu Does It All in Cam Girl Film". TheWrap. Retrieved January 26, 2025.