‘Bunny’ (2025) Review – An Exhausting And Plotless Run In The East Village

Bunny, by the simple nature of its premise, feels like a throwback to the rough-around-the-edges stoner comedies from back in the day. On that note, there is a lot to admire about this film. It strives to deliver a callback that triggers a nostalgic dopamine rush. Yet, that rush only goes so far and cannot make up for a largely stagnant script that strives for perfection yet arrives half-baked.

In the East Village, we meet Bunny (Mo Stark), a streetwise hustler who is running for his life. From the start, we learn that Bunny is something of a gigolo who, after taking a quick job, finds himself in a situation way over his head. Turning to his best friend Dino (Ben Jacobson), Bunny, along with the tenants in his building, schemes to cover up a dead body. With the NYPD in the area and the summer heat getting to everyone, Bunny pulls every trick he knows to survive the night without getting caught or killed in the process. 

The story is a jumble of different plot points and outrageous developments. There is a pending birthday party for Bunny to contend with amid his turmoil. There is also an unexpected house guest and his wife, Bobbie’s (Liza Colby), deadbeat dad (Tony Drazan) returning. To further complicate matters, there is a second dead body to hide, as well as a rabbi dropping in. These elements become increasingly absurd, and yet somewhere along the line, the story forgets to introduce some comedic elements. 

For a film that begins with urgency, it quickly devolves into a series of characters popping in and out, which makes it more like a running gag than a running storyline. Knock-knock jokes have more zip and panache than any line in Bunny. 

Ultimately, it is a mistake of tone. Is this a comedy or a dramedy? Bunny seems confused at times, which prevents us from taking it too lightly or even seriously. The film reminds me of an all-over, all-day headache that will only be relieved with sleep. Not to say it is unwatchable, but there is a dragging quality to a film that runs only ninety minutes. 

There is a moment halfway through where Dino asks Bunny, amid all the shenanigans, to stop doing what they’re doing and start talking. If there wasn’t already a heavy feeling of fatigue, this moment might have some punch, but it ultimately feels like a detour rather than anything that strives for character development or adds to the plot. 

Whenever there is humor, it is awfully sophomoric. There is never a moment of clever wit. The absurdity of the situation—a hustler finding himself in an increasingly complex situation—could be funny. Still, the emptiness of the surrounding characters as well as the listless nature of the story prevent any genuine moments of laugh-out-loud laughter, or even a subtle chuckle.

Now, to the film’s credit, Bunny is an entertaining character, at least in the performance. Stark is clearly having a ball with the over-the-top elements the story continuously throws at him. However, as a film, it languishes in the doldrums of boredom. It baits us for excitement, yet never delivers on the promise. At times, I felt like I was watching side conversations rather than a running storyline. There is a zig-zag quality that, with more interesting characters, could create a compelling dynamic. However, the rampant sidebars between everyone, in addition to Bunny’s dead body dilemma, prove jarring at worst and boring at best. 

The film is set in the confines of an apartment building. A predominantly single setting is clever, and the claustrophobic atmosphere adds to the nauseating situation the characters find themselves in. Yet by the end, there is a feeling, at least for this audience member, of wanting to escape and run for the door. There is a feeling of exhaustion by the end. What we have watched feels like extended anecdotes in an attempt to create an overall plot. It is a shame for a film that begins with a unique hook and a committed lead performance to collapse quickly into a swirl of confusion and fatigue. 

Bunny is currently playing in select theaters and is available on Digital platforms courtesy of Vertical.