Movie Review: BUGONIA

Say what you will about Greek Director Yorgos Lanthimos and the oddities that are his films, but one thing you can NOT say about his films is that they are mundane.

The latest outing by the Director of POOR THINGS, a “two-hander” starring Lanthimos’ stock players Emma Stone (POOR THINGS) and Jesse Plemons (KINDS OF KINDNESS) is a case in point.

BUGONIA tells the tale of High Profile, High-Scale Tech CEO Michelle (Stone) who is kidnapped by Teddy (Plemons) because Teddy thinks that Michelle is an alien (the outer space kind).

What results over the next 2 hours or so, is a cat and mouse game between Michelle and Teddy, told mostly through dialogue between the two that sometimes veers onto the absurb, but almost always finds the humanity of the characters in a world that Lanthimos posits has lost it’s humanity.

It’s a fascinating character study amongst a strong condemnation of our world today that is wrapped in a oddly entertaining romp thanks to the works of the two leads.

This film could have easily devolved quickly into over-acting, boredom and way-too-over-the-top absurdism if it weren’t for the grounded performances of both Stone and Plemons. I’ve been a big fan of both performers for quite some time and Stone (with her 2 Oscars) most certainly has the credentials and heft for this type of film, but it is the work of Plemons that really pops out as he lays out his conspiracy theory to Stone in such a level-headed, thought through way that one thinks, from the beginning, that Plemons might be RIGHT and not CRAZY. Both performances are Oscar-nominee worthy.

These two characters are wrapped up and steered through this world with a sure hand from Lanthimos who actually shows some restraint in his absurb commentary of the world, while also pointing out the hypocrisies and foibles of modern civilization.

This one won’t be for every one and the ending has a twist that I felt made the journey worthwhile, but some will not (I’m sure).

It’s another headtrip by Lanthimos hosted by Stone and Plemons…and they are very pleasing hosts, indeed.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)