Fifteen-odd years ago, as a 20-something with a budding interest in independent and international film, I discovered a movie unlike anything I'd ever seen. To be fair, that was happening a lot in those days, as I discovered new-to-me filmmakers from across genres and generations. But there was something different about Dogtooth, from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, a name I wasn't quite sure how to pronounce back in 2009 (and honestly, am still not convinced I'm getting it right). Following a premiere at that year's Cannes Film Festival, the film announced Lanthimos as a new talent to be watched, and in the decade-plus since, he has remained a filmmaker delivering some of the most compelling and creative contemporary works.
His latest, Bugonia, is a remake of Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 Korean film, Save the Green Planet!; though I've not seen that movie, I can with relative confidence say that Lanthimos's version, working from a script by Will Tracy (The Menu), goes to extremes only this particular filmmaker is willing to embrace. It's a wild ride from start to finish, one that might seem predictable at first but rewards a close watch with sharp, timely commentary and engrossing performances.
Lanthimos again collaborates with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons for this weird yet smart takedown of capitalism and conspiracy theories; Stone stars as Michelle, a high-powered CEO whose every moment is scheduled and curated. She drives a nice car, lives in a fancy house and puts on a fake smile to engage with her underlings. Elsewhere, Plemons is Teddy, living in a rundown house with his cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis), who works in one of Michelle's fulfillment centers but is harboring some pretty out-there theories about who she actually is and what her purpose on Earth might be. That's right, Teddy believes Michelle is an alien.
He's so convinced of this that, with Don's help, he kidnaps Michelle and restrains her in their basement, shaving her head (because that's how her mothership communicates with her) and lathering her in antihistamine lotion...for some other oddball reason, to be sure. Michelle, of course, is not a fan of the situation she finds herself in, and some of the best moments of the film are watching Stone and Plemons spar...or rather, negotiate...their way out of this predicament. Teddy has spent more time than is healthy on his "research" and his effort to understand this covert alien invasion, so he comes prepared with defenses and ultimatums. Meanwhile, Michelle channels all her best CEO techniques to reason with her captors, oscillating between indulging in their demands to earn some trust and pushing back in frustration when she's not being listened to.
Several times during Bugonia, I thought to myself "oh, here's where we're going with this..." and then, in true and wonderful Lanthimos form, we'd go in a completely different, intense direction. The filmmaker is an expert at bringing his audiences to the edge of their seats to see just how extreme he'll be, just how strange he'll get. By the film's third act, there's an energy of heightened curiosity as one is left to wonder just exactly how all this is going to play out; and though perhaps, knowing Lanthimos's style, I should have guessed exactly how far he'd push the line before leap-frogging over it, I still found myself absolutely gobsmacked at just how far he goes.
Bugonia manages to be many things at once, and they never seem to distract from each other. It's a timely and spot-on commentary on the current state of the American populace and our deteriorating levels of media literacy and critical thinking, holding a mirror to our collective dumbing-down and our willingness to believe anything so long as it helps to make sense out of chaos. It's also a thriller that gets rather graphic at times, unafraid to ratchet up the stakes for Teddy, Michelle and others who come into their little drama to the point that what's done can't be undone. And, it's remarkably funny, no more so than when Stone and Plemons are playing their respective characters as straight as can be, the hilarity arising from the sheer absurdity that yes, this is actually how these people would probably respond in these oddball situations.
If one can be certain of anything going into a Lanthimos film, it's that you'll see something truly bold and original; though that singularity of style has proven successful to varying degrees over the years (including much-deserved Oscar wins for Poor Things and The Favourite), it is nevertheless always present and Bugonia is no exception. For a film with its thumb on the current state of the world, Bugonia may be the movie of the year.
Bugonia is now in theaters, including in 35mm film at Music Box Theatre.
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