The 16-minute standing ovation for Bunker at the Venice Film Festival—the longest of 2026 so far—is undeserved, according to a critic who attended the screening. Tori Brazier, senior film and entertainment reporter for Metro, wrote that while the film is clever, well-acted, and raises ethical points, it is also meandering and not worthy of such prolonged applause.
Critic's Verdict on Bunker's Ovation
Brazier stated, "I don’t understand the 16-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival – the longest of 2026 so far – for Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem’s film Bunker." She added, "Having seen it, it’s a clever film, well acted, complex and raising some interesting ethical points – but it’s also meandering, and isn’t the only film this festival to feature an abrupt gear-change in the final act."
She concluded, "I thought it was okay as a whole, and I’m glad I saw it, but it’s certainly not worthy of punishing my palms for anything like that amount of time, in my opinion."
Standing Ovations Out of Hand
Brazier argues that standing ovations at festivals have "wildly got out of hand." She cited the longest ever at Venice, The Voice of Hind Rajab last year at 23 minutes, which she called understandable given its emotional power. She also mentioned The Room Next Door in 2024 at 18 minutes, a film she found unremarkable.
She contrasted these with films she deemed more deserving, such as Testament of Ann Lee last year at 15 minutes and Wild Horse Nine this year at 14 minutes, calling the latter "far more accomplished" than Bunker.
Film Details and Plot
Bunker, directed by Florian Zeller, stars Cruz as Sofia, a book editor, and Bardem as Miguel, an architect. The plot follows Miguel as he considers a request from a tech billionaire (Paul Dano) to design a bunker in Hawaii, while a neighbour (Stephen Graham) knocks a hole in their garden wall without planning permission. The cast also includes Patrick Schwarzenegger, Mark Gatiss, and Dame Eileen Atkins.
Brazier noted that Zeller wrote the film specifically for Cruz and Bardem, who are "terrific and absolutely the reasons to watch the film." However, she felt their relationship was "never properly excavated" and that the bunker-building elements were a "big fat MacGuffin."
The film premiered at Venice on Tuesday September 8 and has no confirmed UK release date yet.
