‘Bunker’ movie review: a puzzling psychological drama sparks occasional satirical insights
Architect Miguel is hired by a billionaire to build a survival bunker, but tensions at home and a dispute with his neighbour unsettle his marriage and sense of security. Florian Zeller’s film uses this confined family drama to explore privilege, social division and differing values, mixing psychological tension with satire.
Javier Bardem plays Miguel opposite Penélope Cruz as his wife Sofia, with Paul Dano as the billionaire and Stephen Graham as the neighbour. The review finds the film uneven and visually plain, but praises its occasional dark humour, the leads’ chemistry and its gradual portrayal of a marriage coming apart.
In short
- An architect’s bunker project deepens conflict at home.
- The film mixes marital drama with social satire.
- Its dark humour works better than its visual style.
Explained simply
Survival bunkers are underground shelters designed to protect people during major crises, and wealthy clients can hire architects to build them. Such projects can raise questions about who can afford protection and how a private response to danger sits alongside the risks faced by wider society.
Miguel is an architect whose work on a billionaire’s bunker intersects with strains in his marriage to Sofia and a dispute with their neighbour. The story brings together people with different levels of wealth and security, using their relationships to examine how privilege and differing values affect family life.