It’s always a treat when a director reunites with their muse often, bringing out the best in each other. Though not always the best version of itself in totality, the moving parts and intimate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses often shine through in the end, and “Bugonia” sees this 4 times over movie magic reunion to great effect. What’s more is Yorgos Lanthimos doesn’t just have one muse in Emma Stone, he also adds Jesse Plemons to his stable of reliable performers, added to the shortlist of those who understand his unique visual language and dark, absurd, and sometimes nasty dark humor. What transpires between the three is a Lanthimos vibes check, a hybrid of his most accessible, grounded film to date while maintaining his signature style and strangeness of storytelling. “Bugonia” may be simple in its premise that more or less hinges on the simple question of whether or not Stone is an alien, but imbues every frame with nuanced anger and a scathing indictment of humanity.
It’s like all of the weirdness and bleak character study of “Dogtooth” and “Killing of a Sacred Deer” paired with the star power and accessibility of “Poor Things” and to a lesser extent “Kinds of Kindness.” It’s strangely quiet and often muted in its approach, but constantly simmers with darkness and smoldering intensity. Without diving into any direct political opinion or specific event, “Bugonia” unleashes on everything with the broadest of brushes and specificity of the last decade. It feels like a COVID hangover movie without ever directly being about the pandemic itself, something only someone as skilled as Lanthimos can pull off. He is angry – angry at humanity, at the state of things, at power, at the riche and poor and every piece of our worst tendencies that seem to have manifested in rapid pace as the world descends deeper and deeper into what constantly seems like an alternate reality. It’s all there, buried beneath excellent performances, pitch black humor, and yes, aliens.
An english language remake of South Korean’s “Save The Green Planet!” by Jang Joon-hwan, the film follows Teddy (Plemons), a conspiracy theory obsessed beekeeper and his impressionable cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) who are convinced that pharma CEO Michelle Fuller (Stone) is an alien sent to earth to destroy it. They decide to kidnap her and demand that she take them to her mothership so they can negotiate on behalf humanity to leave us alone forever. Of course, the powerful CEO is less than cooperative in captivity, and believing that this all must be done by the lunar eclipse in 3 days tension escalate and suspicions grow stronger with each passing moment she does not admit she is an alien.
This is an incredibly small cast, focused almost exclusively on Teddy, Don and Michell all essentially trapped inside Teddy’s dilapidated home and even more unsettling basement. As we dig into the question of whether or not Michelle really is an alien, and things spiral further and further out of control as time begins to run out and the truth gets revealed.
Those expecting this to be full Lanthimos weird may be put off at first, as the its first two acts are shockingly grounded and tightly wound. There’s a steely resolve with which Lanthimos approaches the initial setup, giving very little away and letting Stone and Plemons verbally spar with searing dialogue, masterful delivery and complex discoveries. Each battle of wits reveals just a little bit about each character, but also allows Lanthimos to exorcise the demons of human selfishness. It is a sledgehammer softly swung, the threat of the thud held over our heads as it examines the pain of class disparity, big pharma, conspiracies, familial trauma and deep rooted pain and loss that drive us to the brink. Once the third act arrives, that hammer comes crashing down and the full scope of Lanthimos is unleashed.
“Bulgonia” pulls the rubber band until it snaps; and before you have a chance to gather your senses, it unfolds with unrelenting insanity – a staple of Yorgos and a welcomed explosion of WTF.
Something like this is only made possible through dialed in performers like Stone and Plemons. Stone isn’t new to anything Yorgos has in store, and while this film knows exactly what to do with her, it’s Plemons who managers to show more wrinkles to his game. His ability to oscillate between meek and soft spoken to completely unhinged and terrifying in a blink of an eye is astounding. I’ve been a fan of his for a while, and this film only solidifies him as one of the best actors of his generation. In less capable hands it would be easy to write Teddy off as a complete goof, a lonely man lost in the dark web without merit and deeply disturbed. Lanthimos even tries to call us to this view of him when Michelle tries to analyze him with psychiatry, to which Teddy listens intently and then immediately dissects and dismisses.
Beneath the conspiracy that drives him is a man wrenching with pain and sadness, searching for answers amid things that simply don’t make sense. He is a victim of a world, of a human world that uses individuals for gain and greed with utter disregard, something this film subtly injects into its core themes. Only Lanthimos can make something so depressingly bleak shockingly funny, and only someone as skilled as Plemons can sell both in equal measure. I love what he’s doing here so much, and I’d advise you not to count him out of the Oscar race. With the big three leading the charge, everything here just clicks and works in harmony. Ever reliable Robbie Ryan’s cinematography services the gritty, chamber piece horror lite setting and maintains all of the recognizable camera tricks you come to a Lanthimos film to see. Jerskin Fendrix’ score once again electrifies the scenery, and the masterful editing by Yorgos Mavropsaridis keeps the twisty story unfolding with edge of your seat thrills when it all comes to a head.
There’s a way to walk away feeling like it doesn’t do enough with its big ideas, a sort of risk averse approach like the antithesis to the “Eddington” blunt instrument. The comparisons aren’t unfounded, and while I enjoy both I’d argue this one does it better. Really, it depends on your own milage of Lanthimos himself, particularly things outside of his more general audience accepted filmography. As a fan of nearly all of his work, “Bugonia” scratches the itch and packs out the trunk with every piece of weird cinematic flare I’ve come to love from him. It’s sure to be polarizing and will certainly leave you with someting to talk about – for better or worse.
For me, everything in this film worked, and I walked away from it soaring. It’s shocking and funny and bleak and twisted and nasty and expertly crafted – all the things we come to the movies to experience. You’ll come for Yorgos, sit down for Stone but stay for Plemons.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Bugonia” is in select theaters October 24th, and in wide release on Halloween, October 31st. You can watch the trailer below.
