Bunker
Director Florian Zeller is not typically known for films portraying joyful families. Following his works The Father and The Son, the playwright-turned-filmmaker introduces Bunker, another story centered on a family grappling with internal challenges. This narrative features real-life couple Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz as Miguel and Sofia, a long-married duo residing in London with their two daughters. They epitomize urban affluence, employing a nanny for their children, attending art gallery events, and socializing with individuals from established wealth. On the surface, they seem to have it all, but underneath, their situation is far from stable.
Their circumstances take an unexpected turn when Miguel, a renowned "starchitect," receives an unusual proposal from a reclusive, tech billionaire named Andrew (Paul Dano), reminiscent of Elon Musk. Andrew wants Miguel to design an enormous bunker intended to shelter a select group of wealthy individuals in the event of a global catastrophe. As this project becomes a source of stress, the family's other issues continue to escalate. Sofia feels confined in her position at a literary agency, and Miguel soon suspects she is spending excessive time with the new, young author James (Patrick Schwarzenegger), recently signed by her company. Additionally, their neighbor Toby (Stephen Graham) has created an opening in his wall to install a window overlooking their property. Trust is scarce outside the couple's home, especially after their cat Blue mysteriously disappears.
On the surface, Bunker looks like a story about an architect building a fancy HGTV-style shelter for a billionaire. But Zeller is more interested in what happens when two people who've built a life together start disagreeing on what that life should be. Miguel (Bardem) and Sofia (Cruz) have been married for 17 years, and they've spent the last five in London after moving from Madrid to help Miguel’s career. While the move was great for Miguel, Sofia’s job as a literary agent hit a wall. When she tries to get a promotion, she faces bias, making her realize that even though London feels like home to Miguel, it will never really feel like home to her.
Zeller does a great job of building up the suspense slowly, making even the smallest interactions and unclear intentions keep the film's tension alive. Not every idea in Bunker gets fully developed, and some side characters could use more depth, but Bardem and Cruz really make the rocky marriage interesting to watch. At 126 minutes, Bunker is a smart, suspenseful thriller with a touch of dark comedy. It might not blow your mind, but it's well-made, expertly acted, and definitely worth checking out.
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