"Zeller masterfully highlights the stark economic divide between the neighbours through an almost absurd dispute"

Premiering at the Venice Film Festival and featured at the London Film Festival, Florian Zeller’s psychological thriller Bunker examines social archetypes and modern classism.

The film follows Miguel Moreno, a successful architect, and his wife Sofia, whose marriage is tested when a tech billionaire commissions Miguel to build a bunker.

Miguel faces a choice between his social ideals and the allure of wealth, while Sofia, who has sacrificed her own publishing career to support him, struggles to recognise the man he has become. Adding to the tension is a seemingly petty property dispute with their working-class neighbour, Toby.

Zeller masterfully highlights the stark economic divide between the neighbours through an almost absurd dispute: Toby wants to build a window in his garage that would look directly onto Miguel’s garden. The conflict becomes a metaphor for the middle class’s attempt to protect its privileges, revealing how easily social divisions turn into a struggle over who is entitled to access them.

The film also explores whether Miguel can stay true to his values or whether his ambition will compromise his integrity. Sofia’s sacrifice feels increasingly futile as money begins to sway her husband, a dynamic brought to life by the compelling performances of Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Drawing on his theatrical background, Zeller builds tension through nuance rather than spectacle, using confined settings to reinforce the characters’ emotional conflicts. 

Cruz and Bardem are a powerhouse together, their dialogue unfolding like a dance on screen. Their exchanges feel carefully choreographed, yet never artificial or overly performative, grounding their characters’ relationship in a convincing sense of realism.

By exploring both social interactions and marriage as a relationship built on trust and partnership, Bunker ultimately plays with the audience’s preconceptions, encouraging us to accept social stereotypes before challenging them. The result is a sharp critique of how easily we form biases based on wealth, gender and status.