Florian Zeller

The Father

Zeller wrote and directed his first film, 2020's The Father, based on his play.^[24] It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 27 January 2020. The film received acclaim from critics, who lauded Hopkins and Colman's performances and praised its depiction of dementia.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia."^[30] At Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[31]

The film received four nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama. It also received six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, and six Oscar nominations. Zeller and Christopher Hampton won a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.

It is, according to The Times, "one of the greatest cinematic experiences of the decade".^[32]

In 2021, it was included on Forbes's list of "The Top 150 Greatest Films Of The 21st Century."^[7] In 2022, Time Out ranked it number 93 on its list of the "100 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far", writing that the film "communicates perfectly what dementia must feel like: a world stripped of its signposts, a feeling of being uncoupled, a sense of the familiar slowly becoming frighteningly 'other'."^[8] In 2023, it ranked number 2 on Collider's list of "The 20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far."^[33] It also ranked number 27 on its list of the "30 Best Drama Movies of All Time",^[34]

The Son

In March and April 2021, it was announced that Zeller co-wrote with Christopher Hampton, and would direct, their adaptation of The Son (which serves as Zeller's and Hampton's follow-up to The Father), with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby to star in the film.^[35][36][37] The film premiered in September 2022 at the Venice Film Festival, eliciting a 10-minute standing ovation after the screening.^[38][39]

Bunker

In May 2025, it was announced that Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem will star in his upcoming feature, called Bunker. According to Deadline, this psychological thriller "delves into the emotional and moral challenges a couple faces amid the tensions of the world around them, exploring the fears, doubts, and dilemmas that define our era".^[40] Filming started in Madrid in December 2025 and wrapped in London in February 2026.^[12]

Bunker will premiere in September 2026 at the Venice Film Festival, in official competition^[41].