By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Correspondent
Pushing new extremes and enhancing one’s view of their own personal lives, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” is a chaotic, appalling tale of desperation, self fulfillment and power. Lanthimos has taken an already messed up story of a man capturing the CEO of a biotech company, thinking she’s an alien sent to destroy earth, and turned it into a deranged and complex introspective narrative.
The film stars Jesse Plemons as Teddy, Emma Stone as Michelle and Aiden Delbis as Don.
Plemons is electric in Lanthimos’ latest installment. His portrayal of Teddy, the conspiracy theorist organizing the kidnapping, is completely unique and laudable. He exemplifies an intensity I haven’t seen in many actors before, as well as a frustration and need for validation and correctness.
Teddy strives to be proven right and fights for it all on his own, to a point of insanity. He is an extremely complex character, as the film progresses, the audience dives deeper into his past, aiding the viewers shift of perspective on Teddy as a person. Plemons’ execution of this amount of derangement is one for the books.
Stone’s depiction of Michelle, the multi-millionaire CEO of a biotech/pharmaceutical company who is kidnapped by Teddy and Don, is downright impressive. Despite Michelle’s deeply flawed and ruinsome personality and reputation, you can’t help but hope for her survival. Michelle is a shallow businesswoman who uses and abuses as she pleases, and the audience sees that more and more as the film goes on.
Stone is a legendary, two-time Oscar winning actress with an extensive filmography, proving herself as one of the greatest of all time once again. Stone’s stunning ability to bring a story alive just through the simple execution of a line is completely admirable.
Though Stone is already one of the most acclaimed actresses in the industry, her praise shouldn’t end here.
In a way, Teddy and Michelle hold similarities despite the entire film being driven on their juxtaposing beliefs. They both highlight the three things this film presents: desperation, self-fulfillment and power. Teddy is desperate to be right and to get justice, Michelle is desperate to stay alive. Additionally, the two have personal goals that need to be met, along with their own aspirations for their lives. Finally, both seek a sense of power and are almost finding it within each other. The contrast yet familiarity between these two copiously pushes the movie forward.
Lastly, “Bugonia” was Delbis’ breakout role at the young age of 19 years old. Don, the tortured sidekick and cousin to the overbearing Teddy, is a deeply traumatized and burdened character, which Delbis portrayed flawlessly. Though Teddy has reached a level of insanity and dedication in which he can’t turn back, Delbis is newer to Teddy’s belief system and is able to recognize when things have gone too far.
As the movie progresses and Don is able to open up to the viewers, all you can do is feel sad for him. He carries so much with him and holds things so closely to his heart, which becomes extremely evident as Teddy grows increasingly impatient with his beliefs. Additionally, there is a sense of nervousness in Don that transcends through the film, transferring a sense of nervousness to the audience. Delbis’ stellar performance of Don deserves true critical acclaim.
If there’s one thing to say about this film, it’s that it was complete and utter chaos. I’d recommend this movie to anyone for the shock factor alone, however that with a mix of brutality and total weirdness make this movie feel so eclectic and wild. In contrast, “Bugonia” is a completely organized movie, broken down into a succinct sequence of events on a strict timeline. Lanthimos’ depiction of organized chaos is truly remarkable.
