Bugonia (2025)

Film Details

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Run Time: 116 minutes

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alice Silverstone

Synopsis

Two conspiracy theory obsessed men kidnap the CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien who wants to destroy earth.

My Review

Yorgos Lanthimos and his peculiar creations are always polarising to say the least and Bugonia is no different! As always, the acting is exceptional and Jesse Plemons gives a career best performance that was the saving grace of my viewing experience. I genuinely thought we had a whacky, but realistic storyline on our hands, in this day and age, I could certainly imagine a scenario like this surprising us on the evening news. But unfortunately the films conclusion dived too far into absurdity for me to follow and I left the cinema having come to the conclusion that Yorgos and his work just isn’t for me and that’s okay, I respect the creativity and we can’t all like everything. Although I’ll maintain a real fondness for Poor Things.

I thought Teddy as a character was incredibly intriguing, filled with complex trauma that drove him down the rabbit hole of conspiracy and madness, executed perfectly by Plemons who navigated the constant shifts between insanity and glimpses of self assured composure really well. Whilst Aidan Delbis (Don) was the perfect screen partner, acting as the necessary counterweight, injecting the innocence, vulnerability and kindness that Teddy had lost. But despite two really strong characters, I just couldn’t get on board with some of the more absurd creative decisions! Personally, I don’t believe they strengthened the narrative beyond providing Emma Stone  with the opportunity to explain the films themes through glaringly obvious exposition.

My rating: 5.5 out of 10

Thanks for reading.

Film Review Club