Emma Stone is one of my favourite actors out there. Yorgos Lanthimos is one of my favourite directors out there. In recent years the two have teamed up for some of the best films in recent memory, starting with The Favourite in 2019, then Poor Things which won Stone her second Oscar, and then very soon after Kinds of Kindness last year. Their latest effort Bugonia also brings back Jesse Plemons from Kinds of Kindness, and it may just be one of the year's best.
The film follows Plemons as Teddy, a conspiracy theorist who with the help of his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnaps Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company. Their reason for kidnapping her has nothing to do with financial gain though, they simply believe with absolute certainty that she is an alien. What follows is a contained darkly comedic thriller with some of the year's sharpest writing, as Michelle desperately tries to convince the men she isn't an alien while Teddy seeks an audience with her emperor.
This movie is ridiculous, but it's ridiculous in that beautiful Yorgos Lanthimos way that works even when it feels like it shouldn't. This is much more scaled back than something like Poor Things, but what Bugonia lacks in fantastical sets and costumes it makes up for in the performances. Most of the film is confined to two settings, but the sharp script from Will Tracy allows for the film to stay exciting from start to finish. Emma Stone is incredible here, not only commanding the presence of a high-powered CEO, but also making the film one full of second guessing. She is adamant to Teddy and Don that she isn't an alien, but there's something about her performance that leaves you never quite sure if she is or isn't. Part of that is also thanks to Plemons whose performance as a conspiracy theorist who has fallen off the deep end is both fascinating and honestly upsetting, especially seeing how Teddy's actions affect Don.
From a filmmaking standpoint this might be the most tame Lanthimos has been in a while. There are some frankly insane moments, but the cinematography feels a lot more standard than his typical fare. In this context it really works though, allowing the performances to steal the show rather than any flashy camerawork. The score is also less intrusive than I was expecting, often lingering but then coming in for some strong emotional beats. I wasn't as wowed by the film as a whole early on as I expected to be, but the direction this one goes in was a wild ride that I ended up having an absolute blast with. 4.5/5
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