Bunker review – Cruz and Bardem just can’t dig Florian Zeller’s shallow thriller out of a hole

The Venice Film Festival opened with the debut of Florian Zeller’s first feature‑length screenplay, *Bunker*, starring Javier Bardem as an architect who agrees to construct a luxurious underground refuge for a tech billionaire. The film also features Penélope Cruz as Bardem’s book‑editor wife, whose relationship with the architect is strained by the project’s moral implications. Zeller, known for his stage works *The Father* (2021) and *The Son* (2022), chose to write and direct the film directly for the screen, a departure from his previous adaptations.

Critics have noted that *Bunker* lacks the intimate emotional depth that characterized Zeller’s earlier films. While the narrative centers on themes of alienation and inequality, the script offers limited exploration of the marital dynamic, instead relying on conventional home‑invasion suspense elements. A climactic violent sequence ends abruptly, with a brief off‑camera explanation that many reviewers described as unconvincing. The film’s attempt to balance star power and thematic ambition has been met with mixed responses, with some praising the performances but questioning the overall coherence of the story.