The Bunker

This week's most rewarding drama pick is The Bunker. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Jason Flemyng leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Available now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Bunker arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The Bunker trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. In 1944, in the Belgian - German border, seven German soldiers survive an American attack in the front and lock themselves in a bunker to protect the position. Under siege by the enemy and with little ammunition, they decide to explore underground tunnels to seek supplies and find an escape route. While in the tunnel, weird things happen with the group. The performances from Jason Flemyng and Andrew Tiernan give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. It hit screens in 2001. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with The Bunker. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Jason Flemyng's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.

The Bunker was released in 2001, directed by Rob Green. The full 95-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.