Bunker, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, received a 15 and a half-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday night, September 8. This was the festival’s most enthusiastic response so far, while Cruz broke down in tears as she kissed her husband during the applause and silently told the audience, “Thank you.”
In Florian Zeller’s psychological thriller, Cruz and Bardem, who are also a couple in real life, portray Sofia and Miguel, a married couple. Bardem’s character Miguel accepts a job building a survival bunker for technology billionaire Andrew. The project causes conflict between the couple when Sofia begins working with American novelist Jeremy Gray. Patrick Schwarzenegger and Paul Dano also star in the film.
Bunker’s ovation fell two minutes short of the 17-minute ovation received by Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door in 2024. The response came after John Malkovich became emotional during the 13-minute ovation for The Nine Wild Horses. Florence Pugh, Ben Affleck, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher were also seen at the festival.
Why it matters
This response places Bunker among the films being mentioned alongside the strong receptions in Venice, while increasing the film’s initial visibility at the festival. Comparing the length of the applause with examples from previous years shows that such reactions are regarded not merely as ceremonial details but as one of the main benchmarks of festival coverage. The fact that Cruz and Bardem are also a couple in real life makes the conflict in the marriage they portray an additional point of interest in the film’s promotion. However, these details do not answer how the audience response will be reflected in the film’s critical reception or whether Zeller’s psychological thriller will have the same impact on viewers at screenings outside the festival.