Yorgos Lanthimos has been working non-stop for the last few years. Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness and Bugonia have all dropped within 2 years, each with a consistent through line. Emma Stone.
A partnership that began with 2018’s The Favourite, rewarding Emma Stone with her second Oscar for Poor Things, it is a match made in heaven. Something that couldn’t be clearer in Bugonia.
Emma Stone portrays Michelle Fuller, a CEO of a medicine firm kidnapped by conspiracy theorist Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his reluctant conspirator and cousin Donny (Aidan Delbis), who both believe that Fuller is in fact an alien.
This setup leads to a surprisingly restricted Lanthimos tale, primarily set within two rooms, the basement prison Fuller is trapped within and the dining room Teddy and Donny often reside discussing the moral dilemmas of their kidnap attempt.
With such limited scope in locale, Lanthimos still creates a fantastic aesthetic and vibe within Bugonia. The basement feels like location out of the Saw franchise, perfect for the torture and interrogation Fuller endures. The rest of the house is dressed in a dishevelled way that encapsulates how far Teddy has recoiled into himself through his conspiracy fuelled delusions.
Simply put the film is beautiful in a gross way that puts the viewer off just the right amount to be questioning each twist and turn of the narrative. The outdoor shots, especially those of Teddy enjoying his lovely hobby of bee keeping, are both pretty to look at and unsettling to watch when paired up with the quirky and unsettling score.
The other small trips to other locations are restricted but well utilised to help establish Fuller as the uptight and fake nice CEO we’re all too familiar with today. It similarly establishes Teddy as a down trodden everyman, who would be understandably susceptible to the echo chamber, red-pill conspiracies that fuel his actions.
This is sold further by some fantastic performances. While everyone will highlight Emma Stone first, both in her physical commitment to a wig (wonder what that part of the budget cost) and her performance itself, I want to focus on Jesse Plemons. Plemons has built a career as one of those ‘oh that guy’ actors, rarely starring but delivering memorable supporting performances that stick with people. Breaking Bad, Game Night, Civil War just to name a few.
Lanthimos however has afforded Plemons to finally have an opportunity to lead the picture, and Bugonia is all the better for it. Plemons portrays a man so deluded and broken you almost sympathise with him, if it wasn’t for the kidnap and torture. An everyday man worn down by personal events, Teddy finds comfort in tin foil hat ideas to find answers for every misdeed in his life, and convinces himself that his actions are not only heroic for Donny, but the world. He believes that Fuller is an alien, and one that has been hellbent on destroying the world’s ecosystem, starting with his beloved honey bees. Plemons’ coercive performance also perfectly captures how many like Teddy will spread their spiteful delusions to those vulnerable around them.
This leads to Donny, despite questioning their actions at every turn, chemically castrating himself ‘to focus his nervous system’, assault a random stranger and hold them hostage with a shotgun. Delbis does a fantastic job with this role, a victim of being not only a vulnerable individual but also being family to Plemons’ Teddy. Donny knows their actions can’t be right, but his loyalty to Teddy and love for him clouds his judgement, when all he wishes is to be away from it all.
Finally, Emma Stone. A fantastic performance toeing the lines between distress and control, you can’t always tell if she’s being truthful and you always believe that Fuller is in control to a degree, only for it to be stripped away. It’s so enjoyable to watch Stone’s performance especially considering how much of it is relying on facial expression and tone, as she lacks the full range of her body’s motion for the majority of the plot, because you know being handcuffed and all.
Those limitations only add to the performance however, crafting a character that is always thinking on her feet, and you can see that in Stone’s expression. It was satisfying to watch her gain the upper hand each time, just to watch that advantage snapped away just as fast, and even more satisfying to see her take charge and win the struggle come the end.
That ending didn’t necessarily land with me however. Without spoilers, it takes the plot in a direction I didn’t enjoy as much, despite how beautiful the resulting shots may have looked. The film was tackling a debate about echo chambering and modern conspiracy that felt really prevalent in today’s current landscape, and one I was enjoying. Its ecological and environmental debates were something I liked as well, but wasn’t resonating with as far. So the ending felt like tonal whiplash, and a bit of a rug pull, even if the surrounding elements of Bugonia were hinting at it. It was just a disappointing turn for me personally, although it did explain where all the budget went. A crying shame for, as the film was gathering pace in a fantastic way only to twist so suddenly. It’s an ending that will no doubt be controversial and may grow on me in future viewings but for now fell a little flat.
This does nothing to reduce the quality of the film. It’s debates still rang through for me, and is coupled with stellar lead performances. The sharp editing and soundtracking freaked me out the perfect amount, and the work from the small surrounding ensemble was really enjoyable. Bugonia isn’t Lanthimos’ best but it’s got his trademark blend of black comedy, social satire and entertaining set pieces and is well worth a watch.
Maybe try and watch it in a screen that isn’t the equivalent of a shed like I did though….
★★★★
Bradley Whittam (born February 11, 2003) is a British film and television graduate, journalist and filmmaker. Having studied film since the age of 16, Bradley has since worked on several short films at university, primarily as an editor. He has also begun posting social media content surrounding films online.
@bradtalksfilm (TikTok), @_bradely_ (Instagram) and @bradwhitt03@outlook.com (email).
