Yorgos is at it again with Bugonia, a surprisingly “straightforward” movie from a director known for anything but—that is nonetheless signature Yorgos.
Lanthimos is a director whose work I always anticipate even if I don’t always love the output. But even his lesser films are more ambitious and fascinating than most.
Bugonia is no exception.
While a step down in scale and aggressive creativity compared to recent efforts (it’s no Poor Things, my top pick for 2023), Bugonia is an entertaining and off kilter battle of wits (and wills) between a psychotic conspiracy theorist (Jesse Plemmons) who believes aliens have infiltrated Earth to rule humanity and his kidnappee, a successful female executive (Emma Stone) who he believes is one of those aliens.
Plemmons does what he does best: giving an exceptional, weird, and immersive performance that more than likely will go under appreciated. Plemmons here is unpredictable, frantic, certifiably off his rocker, but also a man on a mission and beholden to his world viewpoint.
Stone, too, is great, her character as headstrong as Plemmons’ is head-scrambled. She’s a force to be reckoned with in her own way. A prisoner, yes, but a prisoner who seemingly could turn the movie on end at any given moment.
And, inevitably, after a relatively slow start, Yorgos does what Yorgos does—and turns the movie on end. And then he does it again. Suddenly, Bulgonia ratchets up into something else entirely, a splendidly violent (in bursts) comedy-drama that can’t quite be described.
Yet, Bulgonia doesn’t land with the devilish humor you’d expect from Langthimos; it’s there, simmering, but suppressed, the story unable to fully grasp it. Without the comedic edge that transforms his other films’ edginess into pure, unwieldy, and undefined entertainment value, Bulgonia struggles to achieve similar heights.
Ambitious, clever, but not as fun as you’d expect. Straightforward, sort of, clever, surely. Among Yorgos’ best? No, unfortunately. anticipate even if I don’t always love the output.
But even his lesser films are more ambitious and fascinating than most.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.