BUNKER Special Screenings

Oscar®-winners Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz square off in this marital thriller from Oscar®-winning filmmaker and AFI FEST regular (THE FATHER, 2020; THE SON, 2022) Florian Zeller. Miguel (Bardem), a renowned architect living in London with his wife, Sofia (Cruz), an editor at a prestigious publishing company, receives an unusual but alluring proposal from a tech billionaire (Paul Dano): design and build a survivalist bunker for his affluent oligarch friends to shelter in once the masses seek their heads in the inevitable social upheaval. Intrigued, Miguel relishes the opportunity to erect a pharaonic monument but Sofia chuffs at what she sees as a Faustian bargain with a Mephistopheles who is one of the causes of modern-day social inequity. If that weren’t enough to drive a wedge in their 17-year marriage, their working-class neighbor (Stephen Graham) has knocked a hole in the wall overlooking their garden to let sunlight into his home, an overreach that Miguel can’t let go; meanwhile, Sofia lands a charming new client (Patrick Schwarzenegger) embarking on a book tour. With BUNKER, Zeller tackles contemporary issues about class, the future and impending ecological disaster through a taut character drama that features a range of incredible performances led by a power couple who have not been on screen together since 2018. –Javier Chavez