Bugonia – Film Review
by Frank L.

Director – Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers – Will Tracy, Jang Joon-hwan
Stars – Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Emma Stone

Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone) is the CEO of a major biomedical corporation. Her world is replete with hard edges and shiny reflective surfaces. Her attire is sharply tailored and black.  She is kidnapped by Teddy (Jesse Plemons), a beekeeper, and his sidekick Donny (Aidan Delbis). They come from the world of conspiracy theories and their sources of information are from Teddy’s unorthodox thought processes and the wackier outer edges of the internet. Teddy and Donny believe Michelle is an alien from another planet who comes from a species who are determined to destroy humanity. The time available to save humanity is a mere three days, coinciding with a lunar eclipse. So Teddy and Donny have a comparatively short time in which to act.

Having kidnapped Michelle and brought her to the basement of their dilapidated dwelling, they shaved her hair, as they believe her hair is the means by which she communicates with her alien Mother Ship. They strip her, cover her in a lotion and chain her to a bed. Teddy then interrogates Michelle, and this interaction between Teddy and Michelle is a major part of the film. The shave-headed, wide-eyed Michelle appears visually to be in stark contrast to Teddy’s greasy, lanky hair and unshaven face. They come from different worlds. Donny, in contrast to each of them, has a huge mop of black curly hair.

So against the clock of the approaching lunar eclipse, the interplay between Teddy and Michelle takes place, with Donny making a brief but violent intervention. Because the thought processes of Teddy and Donny are so distant from those of Michelle, there emerges a black comedy at play.

The facial expressions of Stone as she, shaven-headed, argues with her captors are captivating. Even though she is manacled, she retains a great physical power and presence. Similarly, the close-ups of Delbis as he debates are engaging. He manages to make his obsessions seem realistic. However, all is not verbal, and there is violence and, at times, particularly bloody.

The acting of Stone and Delbis makes this film worth seeing. The storyline, even if it is meant to be in some unspecified way an allegory for contemporary times, is less convincing. The acting is the bedrock of the film.