The second secret screening of the festival this year was the newest film by Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. In previous years, Fantastic Fest featured the director’s previous films, The Lobster and The Killing of A Sacred Deer, both of which became fan favorites. So, it came as little surprise that Bugonia would get programmed this year. As a fan of the director’s style and sense of humor, I knew that I would be in store for a huge treat. I ended up choosing Bugonia for my number 4 spot in my top ten movies that I watched at the festival this year.
Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller, a wealthy and successful CEO of the pharmaceutical company Auxolith.Fuller gets abducted by Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) and is held captive in Teddy’s basement. Teddy and Don are not interested in a ransom, though. They believe that Fuller is a space alien, part of an alien conspiracy to wipe out all human life and destroy the planet. Despite various attempts by Michelle to reason with her captors and convince them otherwise, she decides to play along for the opportunity to escape.
I kept my synopsis minimal because this movie is full of fun and shocking surprises. That’s expected, since it’s a Yorgos Lanthimos film—he’s known for wild twists. Because this is a remake of the South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, anyone familiar with the original may not be surprised by the plot. Still, Lanthimos brings his signature absurd, black comedy to the story.
The humor, particularly when considering the cast’s straight-faced and earnest performances, is absolutely hilarious. I laughed so hard quite often and sometimes to the point of crying. I even applauded at a few key moments that I found particularly satisfying and entertaining. Yorgos, screenwriter Will Tracy, and the incredible cast do exceptional work in developing and executing the mixture of hilarity, tension, drama, and shocking moments. I was particularly taken with the performances of both Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Plemons and Stone have the perfect antagonistic chemistry. Both actors are so good together on the big screen.
Lanthimos’s style may not be for everyone, but this movie was a hit with the Fantastic Fest audience. If you dislike absurd humor and shocking dark moments, I wouldn’t recommend Bugonia. Yorgos fans should love this movie and enjoy its insanity.
Bugonia is currently playing in theaters everywhere.