NOW IN THEATERS! Don’t read the official synopsis or logline for director Adrian Langley’s Bunker. Why? Because it’s a spoiler. The film, written by Michael Huntsman, is a paranoia thriller set during the first Great War in which several soldiers become trapped in a bunker. To say much more about the narrative would spoil the fun. But, some more context is possible.
Lt. Turner (Patrick Moltane) demands much from the men under his command. The battalion’s new medic, Segura (Eddie Ramos), arrives just as Turner is leading a small band of soldiers forward as word has come that the Germans retreated. The group, which includes Baker (Julian Feder) and Pvt. Lewis (Quinn Moran), among others, discovers a bunker with one leftover German brutally tied up.
Shortly after freeing the enemy soldier, Kurt (Luke Baines), the bunker is hit by a shell and partially collapses. Unfortunately, this leaves no way out. As time keeps ticking, the men begin to unravel. Turner’s volatile nature becomes more pronounced as mistrust grows, leading to violent outbursts. Will the soldiers survive the hell on Earth called war? Is this bunker their tomb?
“…several soldiers become trapped in a bunker.”
The sound mixing throughout Bunker was very uneven. I had to constantly adjust the volume higher or lower for the entire 108-minute runtime. Most of the dialogue is very quiet, while the escalating violence is punctuated either by a loud music sting or a startling explosion. Yes, these things should be louder, but so much so that the volume hurts my ears momentarily is a step too far. Sadly, that is not a joke. The volume would get so loud out of nowhere that the burst of sound made me recoil backward.
But, the movie more than makes up for its iffy sound with the strength of its cinematography and lighting. Director of photography Matthew Quinn lenses the feature with style. The angles emphasize how isolated the soldiers are while also making the (mostly) single-location set look interesting and different at all times. The lighting is also perfect, with lots of contrasting blues and reds and hazy/dusty gold being a harbinger of violence. No matter what the budget was, the crew worked overtime to ensure their picture looked well above its price point, and it paid off big time.
The cast of Bunker also ups the material. Moltane makes his hatable character easy to understand. Yes, his ways are ruthless, but he’s dedicated to winning the war. Ramos brings his character’s belief in the good of people to live in a charming, relatable way. Finally, Baines is creepy as Kurt. Or is that just how others perceive him? The actor toes the line between reality and paranoid fantasy excellently.
Bunker is a gripping little thriller with solid characters and impressive visual flair. The cast all do their part while the director manages to squeeze a good amount of tension out. But it is not perfect, as the film is overly long (how many distress radio calls does one movie need?), and the sound design is inconsistent, to say the least.
For more information about Bunker, visit the Blue Fox Entertainment site.
