The Bunker (2024) Review

In the crowded landscape of alien invasion films, Brian Hanson’s The Bunker attempts to carve out a niche by combining the tension of isolation with the existential dread of extraterrestrial threat.

From the outset, The Bunker sets its tone with a familiar yet effective premise: mysterious alien ships appear in the skies, casting a shadow of impending doom over humanity. The film doesn’t linger on the spectacle of global chaos; instead, it zooms in, both literally and figuratively, on a single character, Dr. Michelle Riley, played by Edmundson. Tasked with the unenviable mission of creating a bio-weapon to defeat the extraterrestrial invaders, Riley is confined to a claustrophobic underground bunker, isolated from her team, who are similarly sequestered in their own bunkers.

This setup immediately brings to mind the psychological horror of films like 10 Cloverfield Lane, where the terror is as much about the unknown as it is about the physical threat. Hanson and co-writer Charles Bunce clearly intend to explore the mental unraveling that comes with such isolation, compounded by the paranoia that inevitably follows. In many ways, The Bunker feels like a product of our post-pandemic world, where isolation and the fear of unseen threats have become all too familiar.

Edmundson is the film’s saving grace, delivering a performance that outshines the script she’s given. As Dr. Riley, she oscillates between determination and desperation, giving the character a depth that the dialogue alone doesn’t provide. Her portrayal of a scientist under immense pressure, both from her mission and her internal demons, anchors the film, even as the plot begins to lose its way. It’s a role that could have easily slipped into melodrama, but Edmundson manages to keep it grounded, making her a protagonist worth rooting for.

The supporting cast, including horror icons Tony Todd and Tobin Bell, unfortunately, doesn’t fare as well. Despite their considerable talents and the inevitable draw that their names would have on audiences, both Todd and Bell are underutilised, reduced to delivering lines that feel more like placeholders than significant contributions to the narrative. Bell plays Dr. Riley’s father and is only seen during an intial video call, then later as hallucinatory flashbacks, which don’t add much to the story. Todd,  is given little to do beyond mumbling through his dialogue, leaving his character’s purpose frustratingly ambiguous. It’s a missed opportunity, given the gravitas these actors could have brought to the film.

Visually, The Bunker is competent, if unremarkable. Hanson does a commendable job of utilising the confined space of the bunker to create a sense of suffocating tension. The film’s color palette is predictably muted, with shades of gray and green dominating the screen, reinforcing the sterile, lifeless environment that Riley is trapped in. The special effects are good, with the occasional burst of digital flair – most notably in the scenes involving the “scan chairs” designed to protect the scientists from the aliens’ mental probing. These moments, while visually interesting, feel somewhat disjointed from the rest of the film’s aesthetic, as if they were lifted from a more high-concept sci-fi feature. On the other side of the scale, the digital gore leaves a lot to be desired and the scenes incorporating some level of practical effects have a noticeably bigger impact.

The film’s major flaw lies in its narrative execution. The plot, which starts with an intriguing premise, gradually devolves into a series of disjointed scenes that struggle to maintain momentum. The script often drifts into melodrama, with characters delivering monologues that feel out of place in the otherwise tense atmosphere. The dialogue, particularly during the video conference scenes, comes across as stilted, with the actors seemingly performing in a vacuum, devoid of the organic interaction that could have brought their characters to life.

Similarly, as the audiences sees very little of the alien threat or even the events in the outside world, it makes it harder for them to connect with the gravity of the situation.

Moreover, the film’s exploration of its themes – such as the ethics of creating a bio-weapon and the psychological toll of isolation – feels superficial. These are weighty topics that The Bunker hints at but never fully engages with, leaving the audience with more questions than answers. The final act, which should serve as the film’s crescendo, instead fizzles out, with an ambiguous conclusion that fails to provide a satisfying resolution. Are we meant to see Riley as a tragic hero or a pawn in a larger, unseen game?

The Bunker is a film that had the potential to be a taut, psychological thriller in the vein of Moon or Sunshine, but it ultimately falls short. While it’s bolstered by a strong central performance and some effective moments of tension, it’s let down by a lackluster script and underdeveloped characters. At the time of writing, the film is still undergoing editorial tweaks, so one can only hope that improvements can be made off the back of feedback from early screenings.

While The Bunker may not entirely succeed in elevating the genre, it offers a handful of gripping moments and a standout performance by Chelsea Edmundson. Without editorial changes, it runs the risk of being a film that only die-hard fans of the alien invasion genre will appreciate.

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