Florian Zeller’s debut, “The Father,” was an acclaimed and Oscar-winning film (98% on RT). Most believe he struck out with his sophomore effort, 2022’s critically maligned “The Son,” starring Hugh Jackman and Vanessa Kirby (29% on RT).
Zeller is now out for blood, he wants to prove the naysayers wrong, and he’s enlisted Oscar-winning actors and real-life couple Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) and Penélope Cruz (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) to star in his third film, “Bunker,” a psychological thriller.
“Bunker” centers on an architect who takes on a controversial assignment to design a survival bunker for a tech mogul. As the project unfolds, his wife begins to reassess their 17-year marriage. The film is positioned as a tense exploration of the personal and ethical strains faced by a couple in an increasingly unstable world, highlighting the inner turmoil and complex decisions of contemporary life.
Zeller crafted this English-language film specifically with Cruz and Bardem in mind—who have themselves been married for nearly 17 years. Speaking about the project, Zeller says he was inspired by the couple’s real-life marriage and exceptional talent, aiming to explore the complexities of a relationship while blending emotional authenticity with a “blurring of reality and fiction.”
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