PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Yorgos Lanthimos is one of my absolute favorite filmmakers, though I came to him later in his career with Poor Things. Since then I’ve bought his entire filmography and have watched and rewatched all of his films. I’m always excited for a new Yorgos Lanthimos film, especially when it pairs him with Emma Stone, who is one of my absolute favorite actresses. As soon as I saw the trailer for his latest film Bugonia, I knew had to see it in theaters, which I did this last weekend.
Read on for my thoughts on Bugonia.
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.
Bugonia was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth) and written by Will Tracy (The Menu). The film stars Emma Stone (Poor Things), Jesse Plemons (Civil War), Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias (Call Girl of Cthulhu) and Alicia Silverstone (The Killing of a Sacred Deer).
One of the things that I noticed right away was how strong the acting is by everyone involved, especially the core trio of Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis. Emma Stone plays Michelle, a high powered CEO for a pharmaceutical company. She’s very manipulative and knows how to take control of any situation. I’ve never seen Emma plays a role quite like this. You really don’t know if you should sympathize with her or not as she appears to be an awful person, the type who tries to guilt her employees into working long hours away from their companies to build a stronger company. I absolutely loved Emma as Michelle, she knows just what button to press and when to bend those around her to her will and get the intended reaction.
Jesse Plemons plays Teddy, a conspiracy theorist who kidnaps Michelle. Jesse is know for excellent performances and this is one of his best yet. You can really tell that Teddy believes everything he’s saying, even if it all feels and comes off as bullshit. Aidan Delbis plays Don, Teddy’s cousin, right hand man, and the very heart and soul of the film. He’s an innocent soul, a young man on the spectrum who looks up to his older cousin Teddy. He’s constantly manipulated and used by both sides to suit their needs.
This is Aidan Delbis’s first film ever and he really knocks it out of the park. He gives us someone to root for, someone to sympathize with and care for. I could honestly see all of the core trio being nominated for awards when award’s season hits.
Besides its incredible acting, Bugonia excels at a number of things. The film is incredibly tense. It gradually and steadily builds a tense atmosphere that explodes during the films final act. The score really makes you feel the tension and paranoia present in ever frame. The writing is pitch perfect, darkly funny, twisted and always keeping you guessing as to what’s going to happen next but this is honestly to be expected when Bugonia was written by Will Tracy, the writer of The Menu. The final act is insane, deeply tragic and an absolute jaw dropper.
Final Thoughts
Anchored by a trio of amazing performances Bugonia is an intense, heartbreaking journey. Highly recommended.
