Sundance 2025: Bunnylovr Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

As social media continues to shape modern life and AI looms as a growing presence, audiences are likely to see more coming-of-age stories about young people navigating a world where online interactions feel more real and come more naturally than those in everyday life.

Bunnylovr marks the feature debut of writer-director-star Katarina Zhu, drawing from her own experiences to craft a story about loneliness, connection, and the blurred lines between digital intimacy and reality. Zhu plays Rebecca, a young woman living in New York City struggling to make ends meet. Her gambling-addicted father is constantly trying to reach out and patch up their relationship, while her best friend Bella (Rachel Senott) tries to push her out of her comfort zone. Rebecca is deeply uncomfortable and feels powerless in her real life interactions with those close to her, yet thrives in her online interactions.

By night, Rebecca works as a cam girl, building a dedicated following that offers her the sense of control she lacks elsewhere. Among her most devoted viewers is an older man who becomes increasingly fixated, showering her with money and gifts, including a white rabbit in an effort to monopolize her attention. What begins as a transactional relationship shifts into something murkier, forcing Rebecca to confront the illusions of power and connection she’s built around herself.

Bunnylovr takes an intriguing approach to the topic of parasocial relationships, offering a rare perspective: that of a creator who becomes just as emotionally entangled with her audience as they are with her. While many films explore obsession from the fan’s point of view, Zhu flips the script, delving into the ways digital personas can distort self-perception and create dependencies that are just as consuming offline as they are on screen.

While Zhu explores intriguing ideas, their execution falls short. The film maintains a persistent sense of unease, but Zhu struggles to channel that tension into something impactful. It builds steadily yet ends with a whimper, leaving the film far underdeveloped, a clear sign of a first-time director still learning and developing their craft

Casting herself in the lead role makes sense in concept given the film’s deeply personal nature, but Zhu lacks the experience and screen presence to anchor the story. Her performance is flat, as are much of the supporting cast, making it difficult to feel any attachment to the characters.

Though its examination of parasocial relationships is interesting, the film ultimately feels like a rough draft. The film lacks rhythm and none of the plot points it’s juggling feel fully developed. That being said, while Zhu is certainly a name to look out for in the future, Bunnylovr is unfortunately not a strong debut.

still courtesy of Sundance

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Tristan French