An intense film about two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a woman because they believe she is an alien, Bugonia keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the end.
It is always intriguing when you see actors and directors continue to work together. It makes you wonder what is happening behind the scenes – if the actor is a muse of sorts or if there is a collaboration of efforts in various ways. This is the fourth film that Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos have made together (the other three being The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness), and no matter the case, they are most definitely pumping out successful cinema.
Bugonia is about conspiracy theorist Teddy and his cousin Don, who are the only present members left of their family. Leading the charge, Teddy convinces Don that his beliefs are real and that they have to kidnap wealthy CEO, Michelle Fuller, because she is an alien who is intending to destroy the Earth.
This is a wild and dark comedy that has you anxious and amused for almost the entire film. While there are moments of calm, there is always an underlying tension. You never quite know what is going to happen, and you get just enough oddity to keep you tethered and following the dangling carrot.
Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are both phenomenal. Each has a significant physical transformation (Stone shaving her head for the role, and Plemons’ rugged unkempt look is serious) and both deliver fierce performances in completely different ways.
While I hate to make it sound like we expect this of Stone and Plemons (although we do, they are two of the best actors currently performing in film), Aidan Delbis’ Don absolutely blew me away. Delbis is an actor on the autism spectrum who captures your heart and your attention in every scene that he is in. And when you are trying to leave your mark as a threesome with Stone and Plemons, you have to be something special – and he is. Delbis delivers a soft, nervous, and authentic performance as the cousin who just wants things to get better. I greatly look forward to seeing what comes next for him.
There is a ton of social commentary in this film that ranges from the way we retrieve information and navigating misinformation to the way humans have treated our planet to the extinction of various species – and that is just for starters. Bugonia is a thinker, whether you are watching these young men in their run down house while Fuller is wearing spa masks or the constant verbal combat in trying to get her to admit to being an alien, the key word is: constant.
An incredibly thoughtful film where the ending cycles back around to the beginning in a very unexpected way, you are never quite sure where Bugonia is going. It is a little creepy, a little uneasy, and strangely amusing, but it absolutely keeps you on your toes. I’m a fan.
Runtime: 118 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4.25/5 Stars
Available:Torent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
It is always intriguing when you see actors and directors continue to work together. It makes you wonder what is happening behind the scenes – if the actor is a muse of sorts or if there is a collaboration of efforts in various ways. This is the fourth film that Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos have made together (the other three being The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness), and no matter the case, they are most definitely pumping out successful cinema.
