Photo via mindonmovies.com
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Another odd vision from Oscar nominated director Yorgos Lanthimos teleports its way onto the silver screen, and it is a sight to see. “Bugonia” is a dark, satirical comedy with sci-fi undertones that is an adaptation of the 2003 South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!”. Led by riveting performances from two of his favorite actors, this story is just about as weird as the Churchward Roundsquare font used for the film’s title and credits.
Living in a derelict country house with his naïve and impressionable cousin Don (Aidan Delbis), Teddy (Jesse Plemons) is a beekeeping enthusiast consumed with conspiracy theories. Together, they kidnap a high-profile CEO named Michelle (Emma Stone), convinced that she is an alien attempting to destroy the planet. With time running out and the police canvassing the area, Teddy resorts to intellectual debate and torture to coerce the truth from his powerful captive. As questionable and personal motives become clear, the truth may be as crazy as Teddy.
Five-time Oscar nominee Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things” and “The Favourite”) certainly has an eccentric vision that always guarantees a unique filmgoing experience. The Greek filmmaker does not disappoint with this film, throwing more curveballs than Sandy Koufax that keep viewers guessing until the end. Like he did with “Poor Things,” Yorgos presents a highly fictional concept but relates it to modern society. Depicting the main character as someone who goes down the rabbit hole of online research to find seemingly outlandish conspiracy theories is all too familiar in this day and age. Yorgos even takes this a few steps further, almost toying with his audience to the point he has them thinking there may be something valid to this conspiracy only to pull the rug out, leaving them laughing at themselves for thinking it could be true. He does this several times throughout the movie, which keeps the truth veiled in mystery, eliminating any semblance of predictability.
Yorgos implements a visual style that is uniquely cinematic using VistaVision, which has been making a comeback recently, such as in “The Brutalist” last year and “One Battle After Another” last month. This is a style that provides stunning detail with such a quality that cannot be duplicated at home and will continue its resurgence to compete with streaming. The cinematography he employs emphasizes this detailed style with closeups during intense moments that show every pore and hair follicle. This gives the characters an extra level of grunginess and griminess to their appearance to convey their social stature or lack thereof. Even the set design is purposeful with the house and basement being constructed from the ground up specific to the backstories of the main character. This attention to detail adds a layer of authenticity to the production.
Unfortunately, there is one glaring misstep Yorgos makes that prevents this movie from being a Best Picture candidate, and that is how he chooses to end the movie. Without going into detail, he presents the final act in a way that is likely to be divisive, opting for a comedic shock and awe approach. While there is a dark satirical element throughout the telling of this story, it had been more understated, so leaning into the humor for the climax is a mistake. Yorgos doesn’t seem to realize the underlying sadness that is prevalent throughout much of the movie, making this final attempt at comedy fall flat. Although many people appreciate closure, a more mysterious, open-ended conclusion might have served him better.
This is now the fifth collaboration between Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos, so there is definitely a mutual fondness for working together that has served them both very well. Once again, she provides a highly committed performance, portraying a high-powered CEO with a realistic corporate detachment. Ironically, it’s her cutthroat, unemotional demeanor that gives her this almost inhuman quality, making the conspiracy of her being alien almost believable. Her head shaving for the movie is indeed real, showing her dedication for the role.
As good as Emma Stone is, Jesse Plemons really steals the show with an incredibly intense performance that demonstrates just how underrated of an actor he is. His brilliant display of obsessive paranoia with intelligent conviction provides the right amount of justification for his actions that the otherwise polite character would never commit. The inner turmoil and anguish he keeps hidden just beneath the surface supplies this morose depth that somehow generates empathy for this morally ambiguous character.
If you are a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos’ unique filmmaking style, then you will undoubtedly enjoy this film and its satirical sense of humor. “Bugonia” is not on the same level of quality as “Poor Things,” but is certainly better than “Kinds of Kindness.” Don’t forget to bring your tinfoil hat and strap in for this bizarre, yet strangely entertaining foray into extremism of conspiracy theories.
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