Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writer: Will Tracy
Stars: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis
Synopsis: Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
It brings this Greek film critic a particular joy to see just how far Yorgos Lanthimos’ career has come. Both his skillset and singular voice have always been clear, but it’s tough to imagine anybody seeing 2009’s Dogtooth (his arguable breakout film) being able to predict his rise to becoming an Oscar darling. Perhaps most exciting about this transitional journey packed with excellent films is that he’s never lost the elements of the cinematic Greek Weird Wave. In fact, Lanthimos’ ability to alienate his audiences while simultaneously crafting undeniable entertainment vehicles for the masses is deeply impressive.
Any cinephile should be thrilled that such a distinct filmmaking voice is so present in modern cinema. That he and the incredible Emma Stone are honing this voice together is more than just the cherry on top of an exciting cinematic sundae. It instead feels akin to a complimentary dessert dish in its own right. Since her Oscar-nominated role in Lanthimos’ The Favourite, she has starred in every film of his moving forward. She even starred in his silent short film, Bleat, made in Greece, which has screened less than a handful of times worldwide due to its stringent presentation requirements. This creative partnership clearly enriches both Lanthimos and Stone, allowing each party to take bolder swings and innately convey the absurdity present in any particular filmic scenario. Bugonia, Lanthimos’ latest film and third this decade, reaffirms this notion of playfulness among them and their understanding of what the other brings to the big screen. And while it may not reach the heights of any of their previous collaborations, Bugonia presents a fascinating worldview grappling with several ideas.
Despite still remaining widely accessible, Lanthimos’ films post-The Favourite have been brushing up against the audiences he has amassed. His feature films have often reckoned with the state of the world in some way. But the subtext feels as if it’s becoming more and more textual with each new entry into the Lanthimos oeuvre. Importantly, each film takes an interest in how an individual, or select group of individuals, handle their current place within their respective society. For Bella Baxter in Poor Things, she takes on the harsh realities and injustices of the world with a hope that things can become better. It may be partially fueled by naïveté considering her origins, but it’s a noble (and excellent) film exploring such endeavors.
Kinds of Kindness is a particularly alienating triptych of stories depicting people that are breaking down as the systems they rely on begin to fail. It’s a film which actively feels like Lanthimos wants to toy with his Oscar audiences. And despite not being written by Lanthimos, Bugonia feels like quite the extension of this overarching idea of failing systems found in his previous film. Furthermore, Bugonia feels distinctly interested in alienating its audience considering that’s the entire conceit of the film to begin with. Bugonia is ultimately a film which is reckoning with the devastating, and ultimately tragic, ways we have alienated ourselves from one another.
Bugonia follows the 3-day aftermath of CEO Michelle Fuller’s (Stone) kidnapping at the hands of Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis). The ticking clock structure which breaks this film into chapters exists due to Teddy’s vehement belief that Fuller is an alien. He believes the only time to contact her off-world leaders is during an upcoming eclipse. If that seems a bit silly on paper, that’s because it is; but Lanthimos has always been able to balance disparate tones across his filmography. Of course Teddy’s conspiracy-riddled theories and overall scheme is ridiculous. But the comedic edges of Bugonia never dull its most shocking moments. Though that’s not to say every emotional beat of this film works without a hitch. Despite Will Tracy’s script intentionally keeping the audience, and Fuller, at arm’s length, the emotional resonance of Bugonia feels a bit sparse as its many ideas bounce around a packed runtime which also feels a bit too long. It’s a strange disconnect between narrative and pacing, but it still manages to make way for a propulsive and absurd third act. But Bugonia has much to work through before getting to its bound-to-be spoken about finale.
The intent of this film, like many of Lanthimos’ works, is to discomfort his audience as he addresses realistic issues through absurdist means. And in these uncomfortable realities comes a series of emotions which are fully understandable. In the case of Bugonia, it’s that of several tragedies. While exploring corporate greed and the ways in which the upper class belittle and look through through the working class, Bugonia allows Lanthimos to depict the evils of society warping those at its center. Teddy is an antagonistic force of this film in some ways. But due to Plemons’ incredible performance, he comes across as a man who has simply broken. The film certainly doesn’t forgive him at any point. Nor does it excuse his actions.
But it’s interesting the ways in which Lanthimos and Tracy attempt to convey some sympathy for Tracy. One could argue he’s a sort of tragic figure, if only in the sense that cases like his seem avoidable if massive companies, such as the veiled pharmaceutical one at the center of this film, actually cared about the people they purport to serve. While it may not always work for the film, Bugonia is full-blown tragedy in the classical Greek sort of way. There’s a dark humor present in Teddy’s hair-brained conspiracy, but that never belittles the harrowing, deeply sad reality of the situation. If this film is to serve as a mirror for its audience, the reflection reveals a damned image for its audience and humanity at large.
To think of how deep a hole Teddy has fallen into is frightening. And it’s within those depths that Teddy’s actions and behavior, however tragic, are never justified. One just needs to see how Lanthimos’ direction and Tracy’s script focus on Teddy’s manipulation of his sweet cousin, Don. Through such unnecessary collateral damage, Bugonia sees the filmmakers painfully questioning how we could let something like this ever happen in the first place. Perhaps it’s not something somebody just stumbles into. It’s only through a series of emotionally heightened circumstances and a refusal to engage with them in meaningful, therapeutic ways that people such as Teddy can find themselves in such a dangerous echo chamber. But the culpability doesn’t solely rest with any one person.
Bugonia makes it clear as day that the upper class and corporate greed have caused irreparable damage to a wide majority of the population. Having been allowed to run rampant for so long, the consequences of such actions now have roots running deep in the very fabric of modern society. It’s through these roots that Bugonia finds its strongest angle into the avoidable tragedy of this story. This is more than just a kidnapping being presented by Lanthimos. It’s a damning indictment on humanity at large.
Given, Bugonia may not feel like the most fully thought-out indictment of upsetting societal truths like conspiracy-fueled lunatics or corporate greed due to occasionally flat characterization and a somewhat stalled pace. But a bonkers narrative development (which remains admirable despite its own thematic flaws) and excellent performances allows Bugonia the space to feel like another example of why Lanthimos is one of our most exciting contemporary filmmakers.
