Writer/director Florian Zeller harnesses the combined star power of Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem as a married couple in turmoil in Bunker.
Screening at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival, Bunker combines global themes of social and economic inequality with the intimacy of a long-term marriage.
Zeller, known for his previous films The Father and The Son, leans heavily into symbolism and socio-political commentary.
What is ‘Bunker’ about?
Bardem plays Miguel, a successful architect married to Sofia (Cruz), an editor at a publishing house.
After 17 years of marriage, the pair now live in London with their two young daughters.
On the surface, things seem perfectly harmonious, but when Miguel is offered a job building a doomsday bunker for a mysterious billionaire (Paul Dano), it creates a rift between him and Sofia.
Further doubts are forged in Sofia’s mind by Miguel’s domestic dispute with the next-door neighbour (Stephen Graham) over an intrusive window looking over our married couple’s garden.
Moreover, Patrick Schwarzenegger’s spirited author Jeremy shows Sofia that her life might need a change.
It’s a potent mix of dramatic ingredients.
Powerhouse performances overshadow heavy symbolism
Bunker plays into dramatic tension beautifully, and through a combination of Bardem’s performance and almost voyeuristic cinematography, we totally understand his paranoia.
It’s one of the elements that truly works in this film.
Alas, Zeller is heavy on symbolism, through art pieces, imagery and costume.
He really wants you to know that there’s something complicated lingering underneath the pristine surface of this marriage.
Moreover, the ‘billionaires are the scourge of society’ commentary, valid as it is, is quite heavy-handed.
Although used as a seed of doubt in what is essentially an intimate two-hander marriage drama is an interesting take.
The final act also introduces a sledgehammer sequence that is bound to be decisive among viewers, throwing up questions of necessity, severity and misplacement.
Nitpicking aside, Bunker is set up to live or die by the performances of its two leads.
Luckily, Cruz and Bardem, one of cinema’s true-life power couples, are exemplary.
Passion, love and tension fly between them effortlessly, and every word from either character feels undeniably true.
It’s a joy to see two performers at the peak of their powers lift the material beyond its setbacks.
Cruz, in particular, is sensational.
Her ability to conjure a thousand thoughts without speaking is unmatched, and that trait really shines in Bunker.
The verdict
So, while some heavy-handed messaging and symbolism could take the viewer out of the experience, Cruz and Bardem ensure the audience will remain hooked on Bunker.
Bunker has enough thrill, drama, and suspense to leave a significant impact.
The film will be in UK and Irish cinemas on 19 February 2027.
Rating: 8/10
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