Bugonia reminds us why corporations are our enemies
by Julia Kelm
Bugonia, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, follows two conspiracy-obsessed men — Jesse Plemons and Aiden Delbis — who kidnap a powerful and influential pharmaceutical CEO — Emma Stone. They kidnap her, as they are convinced that she is an alien who intends to destroy Earth.
I saw this the day after it premiered on Halloween at the Minor Theater in Arcata. I’m not sure if the projectionist was hungover or not, but I was lucky enough to see the first 10 seconds of One Battle After Another again before it was quickly cut off and switched to the correct film. However, after this minor snafu, we were back on track with the correct movie.
Bugonia is based on Save the Green Planet!, a 2003 South Korean sci-fi comedy film. However, Bugonia reshapes the narrative to fit into a more contemporary American capitalist culture.
Plemons plays Teddy, one of the conspirator abductors. He’s a young man who is clearly troubled, yet you can’t help but pity him. He represents what happens to people who’ve been pushed to their brink by a system that doesn’t care about their well-being.
Plemons plays this role excellently, which isn’t too much of a surprise since playing a crazy kidnapper isn’t too far from his usual roles. Especially in the context of his previous Lanthimos film, Kinds of Kindness.
Stone is also excellent, showing a calm determination and subtle fear as she tries to escape the clutches of these weirdos.
There isn’t a lot I can say about this film without giving too much away, so forgive me if what I’m about to say seems vague.
Lanthimos is known for his unhinged, anxiety-inducing psychological thrillers. Bugonia is no exception to this; however, this film feels a lot more grounded — ironic, since aliens play a key role.
The message of this film can be interpreted as how broken people are affected by the system and the depths they can fall into. This is then exacerbated by the abuse, trauma and mental illnesses that push these people over the edge. However, it doesn’t glorify the actions made by these people either; to me, it shows how there’s nuance to finding the middle ground between two largely differing points of view.
I would not recommend Bugonia to everybody, as the content can be a tad triggering and mildly disturbing. It’s also just bleak and depressing at times, so don’t go in expecting sunshine and rainbows — that’s a general rule for any Lanthimos film, though.
Although, if you’re a fan of Lanthimos’ previous works, like Poor Things or Kinds of Kindness, then this will definitely be up your alley; 8.5 out of 10 Julia’s.
Julia is a journalism major, and is the life and arts editor for the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest, and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you want her to review, email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.