Bunker Review: Overwrought Family Drama

Florian Zeller’s Bunker is a compelling drama that ultimately crumbles under the weight of its scattered, multifaceted story.

Bunker follows an acclaimed architect named Miguel (Javier Bardem, of Cape Fear), who lives in London with his wife Sofia (Penélope Cruz, of The Invite) and their two daughters. When Miguel is approached by an eccentric billionaire to design a remote underground bunker that could sustain him and his family for thirty days in the event of a global catastrophe, the cracks in his faltering marriage begin to emerge. As Miguel attempts to reckon with the ethical questions surrounding his work, Sofia begins to question how the man she once loved has lost his morals along the way.

At its core, Bunker is the story of two talented individuals who’ve given everything to achieve success—but somehow lost track of who they really are in the process. Miguel is proud and conceited, unable to relate to those around him without becoming paranoid that everything he’s built will come crashing down around him. Sofia values family above all else, happy to abandon her dreams in order to support her husband and maintain a stable environment for her children. Unsurprisingly, their marriage has become stained by resentment—and Zeller explores how this can manifest in increasingly worrying (but also darkly comedic) ways.

So much of Bunker hinges on the chemistry between Bardem and Cruz’ protagonists, which is unsurprisingly the highlight of the film. All of their scenes are wrought with an electric tension that really helps the audience understand what both characters are feeling at any moment, even if they can’t quite understand each other. They make easy work of Zeller’s dense, emotionally charged dialogue, making their disagreements feel genuinely painful with real stakes for their relationship. Zeller remains an extremely competent director, and his keen eye for theatre is on clear display in Bunker through the precise framing of his scenes.

Unfortunately, Zeller’s screenplay often sidelines this bold, compelling dynamic for a more superficial, skin-deep attempt at social commentary that mostly misses the mark. Ironically, Bunker probably doesn’t need the bunker at all; the film’s attempts to deconstruct society’s dangerous wealth gap and the lingering threat of societal collapse feel like an unwelcome distraction from the film’s true strength, which is simply the human drama at its core. The film often feels like it’s talking down to its audience by presenting universally understood ideas as something bold and revolutionary, when in reality, it actually isn’t saying very much at all.

There’s an unfortunate lack of focus to Bunker that runs throughout the film, taking the story on unnecessary detours that merely distract from the aspects of the movie that audiences came for. Whether it’s Sofia’s relationship with an American journalist she’s begun working with, or Miguel’s feud with his rude, standoffish neighbor, it sometimes feels like Bunker isn’t quite sure how to develop its central ideas and merely pads them out with more story. This isn’t a viable approach to storytelling. Allowing Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz to share the screen with these powerful lead roles was an amazing opportunity that sadly never feels as thrilling as it should have because of the film’s clear lack of focus.

As a result, Bunker ends up being an excellent character study with dazzling, kinetic performances that are ultimately squandered by a jarring attempt at social commentary that barely scratches the surface of the concepts it tries to deconstruct. The film brims with astute ideas but frequently lacks the confidence or concentration to execute them in a way that feels like it’s bringing anything new to this widespread global concern.

Bunker had its World Premiere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival on September 8, 2026. Read our review of The Son!