Absurd, to worrying, to horrifying: “Bugonia” becomes more and more terrifying the longer you watch. One of the most surprising and soul-crushing movies of the past year, director Yorgos Lanthimos delivers his newest bloody blue ribbon alongside Emma Stone.
In the film released Oct. 31, a conspiracy-ridden beekeeper, Teddy (Jesse Plemons), and his neurodivergent cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis), decide to kidnap a billionaire CEO, Michelle Fuller (Stone), because they think she is an alien. Michelle tries to manipulate the men into freeing her by both feeding into their delusions as well as turning them against one another.
Throughout the film, you feel compassion for different characters at different times. At the beginning, we see the relationship between Teddy and Don; a relationship which I thought was sweet and brotherly. Teddy seemed to really care about Don, and vice versa, leading me to believe that the film would be an absurdist comedy buddy movie about these two.
However, as the film progresses, and we see flashbacks to Teddy’s childhood, we learn that he is a bit more than a tin foil hat conspiracist. It’s at this realization that I began pitying Don and Michelle.
In Michelle’s story, we get a glimpse into her work life before she’s kidnapped. She seemed to be a cold yet efficient boss. So, when she was kidnapped, I honestly did not feel too bad for her, especially since it seemed the police would be able to free her soon after her disappearance.
But when it’s clear that the police are powerless in this situation, Michelle begins her manipulation tactics. She switches between admitting she is an alien and offering them mental help. Despite Michelle exploiting the mental instability of the two men, you still root for her to succeed.
Perhaps I rooted for Michelle throughout the movie because of her “girlboss” behavior, but I also just genuinely wanted to see her escape the horrible basement.
I also started to pity Don as the film went on. While I thought Teddy and Don were charming at the beginning, I soon realized how manipulative and controlling Teddy was toward his cousin. Teddy practically brainwashes Don into believing everything he says, and Don is easily coerced to follow this mindset.
The genre of “Bugonia” is about as fluid as water.
By the time Michelle is imprisoned for two days, the genre entirely changes. As I mentioned earlier, while the beginning seemed to be a buddy-style dark comedy, halfway through the movie is more akin to a suspenseful thriller. This genre-bending progresses even further as we reach the last third of the movie, when it shifts from a suspenseful thriller to disturbing and gory horror.
I always applaud a film for stepping outside of a single genre and exploring a more diverse composition of feelings. The film itself surprised me not only with its narrative but with its delivery.
The acting in this film was also incredible, especially from Plemons. He captures the madness so acutely that I don’t think I’ll be able to watch another one of his films without thinking he’s secretly insane.
Plemons’ co-stars also played intriguing characters. Stone brings quite a strong performance in the film: charismatic, bold and decidedly glowing without hair; it was hard to look away. And Delbis is heartbreakingly charming in his breakout role. I instantly grew attached to him and became fiercely defensive.
As the reviews roll in, I have seen some discourse online about the awards season when it comes to this film. Lanthimos is an Academy Awards staple by this point, with his other films like “The Lobster” and “Poor Things” both winning awards. However, with films like “Sinners,” “Wicked: For Good” and “One Battle After Another” being highly favored, it may not make its way into as many categories as Lanthimos’ previous films.
Awards season aside, I think “Bugonia” will most likely become a cult classic for the enjoyers of the macabre and disturbia. Its most horrifying scenes will likely live in my mind for the foreseeable future, especially since I think I will see it a second time when it comes to streaming.
