*spoilers ahead
Yorgos Lanthimos, director of “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “Poor Things,” has released his latest absurdist black comedy sci-fi . “Bugonia” came to theaters nationwide on Oct. 31, and its premise has already made a lasting impression.
The story follows cousins Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis) as they enact their plan to abduct CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone) of pharmaceutical company Auxolith, in their attempt to expose her as an alien and save the human race.
The movie’s premise is based on the 2003 South Korean film, “Save the Green Planet!” directed by Jang Joon-hwan. Joon-hwan took a spot in “Bugonia’s” writing team, alongside Ari Aster, Alicia Silverstone, Will Tracy and Lanthimos.
The script, although filled with funny quips, felt unnatural at times. Perhaps the awkwardness is simply a Lanthimos staple, but it creates a disconnect from the screen for moviegoers. What did work, though, was the playful jabs at modern professional candor, or “corporate speak.” The writers emphasize phrases like “let’s circle back” or “have a dialogue” that are part of that commercial, uniform script are uncanny enough to be alien.
What really makes this film, though, are the commanding performances of Plemons and Stone.
Both characters do terrible things throughout the film, but because of their morally gray reasoning, the audience may have a hard time casting judgement on either of them, making for a dynamic watch. Plemons’s performance is especially beautifully off-putting. The way he humanizes someone so unhinged and disconnected from reality, and even convinces the audience to conjure sympathy for him, is incredibly powerful.
The movie also features the comedian Stavros Halkius as clueless cop Casey and the talented Silverstone as Teddy’s ill, conspiracy theorist mom Sandy. In a flashback, we see that Sandy, whose coma was caused by an Auxolith medical experiment, influenced Teddy’s view on those in power and used her illness to fuel his distrust.
Currently, “Bugonia” holds a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb and has reported a domestic box office gross of nearly $7.6 million, earning an estimated $4.4 million from its opening weekend alone, the highest opening numbers Lanthimos has seen in his career.
And people’s excitement for this film makes sense. What began as a blatant metaphor for the destructive, exploitative nature of modern capitalism began to weave itself through other contexts. In Teddy’s attempt to save humanity, he, because of his flawed human feelings, accidentally unveils the exact reason it shouldn’t be saved.
At face value, “Bugonia” is a film about aliens. Its deeper message is about alienation, and how conspiracy theories and other internet rabbit holes tear people fatally far from reality. But even past that, it’s about the worth of humanity, and how we attach productivity to our success as a species. It’s a pretty on-the-nose narrative without a call to action, perfectly anxiety-inducing with no proposed cure.
Lanthimos imagines how aliens would see us — a species consumed by a culture of greed and violence. But the film also asks the viewer to consider if there is some good left in the world, whether in the face of corporate corruption or an alien invasion. Prepare to walk out of the theater incredibly entertained, if not consumed with a hint of dread.