‘Bugonia’ ★★★★
Cast: Jesse Plemmons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Cedric Demornay, Marc T. Lewis, Vaness Eng and Alicia Silverstone. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos; produced by Ari Aster and Ed Guiney; screenplay by Will Tracy and Jang Joon-hwan. A Focus Features release. 118 minutes. Rated R (bloody violent content, grisly images and language). At AMC Champaign 13 and Savoy 16 IMAX.
Teddy is convinced he’s right. There’s no question in his mind there’s a race of aliens embedded on our planet intent on wiping out humanity. The Andromedans aren’t overt in executing their plan; they’re taking a subtle approach, which is why only Teddy and few others are aware of what’s going on. Granted, his dim cousin Don agrees with him, but it should be noted, with all due respect, he makes fence posts seem bright. Of course, with this knowledge, Teddy must take action, so he’s focused on the alien’s leader, Michelle. Yes, she’s convinced the world she’s the CEO of a groundbreaking pharmaceutical company but that’s obviously a ruse. Teddy knows the truth. The various websites and chat boards he visits regularly have supported this notion and they’re never wrong.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” takes an unflinching look at the disinformation world we live in. Putting conspiracy theories as well as the isolating effects of the internet age under the microscope, his film is a bitter, and ultimately ironic, examination of how the vulnerable fall under the sway of a system that provides a false sense of acceptance. And while this movie is heavy lifting, it’s not without its humor, albeit, of the blackest sort. The script by Will Tracy and Jang Joon-hwan contains more than a few barbs aimed at a variety of targets, the vapidity of corporate culture, the dangers of group think and the negligence of health care among them. And while none of these subjects are humorous in nature, their absurdity is ripe for parody, and Lanthimos is more than happy to slyly lampoon them.
Teddy (Jesse Plemmons) must be given credit for not being one of those all-talk-and-no-action kind of guys. He means business and proves it by, with the help of Don (Aiden Delbis), kidnapping Michelle (Emma Stone). His intent is not to harm her but convince her to take him to the leader of the Andromedens so that he may broker a peace treaty between the two races. Of course, he shaves Michelle’s head immediately, as its common knowledge her race communicates through their hair, and he can’t risk her sending out an SOS.
The cat-and-mouse game that ensues between these two is just one of the many engrossing aspects of the film. First attempting to reason with her abductor, then employing a sense of logic, Michelle soon realizes there’s no reaching Teddy through these means. Playing along with his delusion is the only way to reach him, something the domineering woman has trouble adjusting to.
To reveal more about their dynamic or the various other things that have contributed to Teddy’s paranoia would be a disservice. As elements from his past are revealed, we come to sympathize with him and understand how he came to be so vulnerable to the misinformation he takes as gospel and why he is so desperate to embrace it. Some of the factors that have led to his sense of isolation have been foisted upon him, others he’s fostered himself. That he would be so susceptible to them is tragic. That his situation is more common than we realize is terrifying.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more committed actress than Stone. She brings a ferocity to the role that’s initially off-putting yet the glint in her eye suggests something else lies beneath her icy demeanor. No stranger to nailing big moments, it’s the subtle touches the actress employs that distinguish and complete her performances. And though she is a force to be reckoned with, this is Plemmons’ film. Manic and on edge throughout, the actor’s ability to channel Teddy’s pain results in a moving portrait of a man held at bay by mental illness. The result is a plea for greater awareness and compassion for those similarly afflicted.
Before it reaches its strange, surprising conclusion, “Bugonia” jerks the viewer hither and yon, taking us down various rabbit holes that enlighten Teddy’s plight and condition, all the while planting the seeds for its memorable denouement. The ending is the least ambiguous of all of Lanthimos’ films, suggesting the filmmaker wants no confusion where the movie’s intent is concerned. Grotesque yet funny, it’s a pointed, dour commentary for our times, an indictment of our passive nature in the face of technology, as well as our indifference to those around us. Unfortunately, “Bugonia” is a cautionary tale that’s come too late. No matter. I doubt we would have heeded its message had it arrived in time.
