Bugonia

Oh, when will they ever learn?

My favorite Greek uncle Yorgos is back with another absurd piece of cinema, and suddenly the world feels better again. Because if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that when Yorgos Lanthimos releases a new film, you’re in for two hours of strange, darkly funny, and politically sharp filmmaking.

Bugonia tells the story of two cousins who have become so deeply consumed by their class frustration, conspiracy theories, and general madness that they decide to kidnap the CEO of a major corporation — convinced that she’s an alien. They plan to use her as a way to contact the alien empress and demand her to leave Earth so they can cleanse the planet of pollution. Sounds ridiculous — that’s why we’re here, and I didn’t expect any less from Lanthimos.

The film is packed with recognizable and (sorry) predictable social commentary — from class inequality and the overused (yet true) “eat the rich” slogan to the ways in which internet conspiracies are dumbing us down. It explores how the power dynamics between the influential and the working class don’t just fail to function — they barely even exist. Lanthimos once again dives into how people are used, how desperation shapes us, and what different levels of despair can drive people to do. This year, a lot of directors for some reason have used the “desperate cluster” for their stories — some successfully, some not (yes, I’m still talking about you, Ari Aster).

Technically, Bugonia is stunning. The visuals are rich and delicious — exactly what you’d expect from Lanthimos. There’s a strong sense of polarity running through the film, reflecting his political commentary on how divided, disconnected, and alienated we all are from one another. And of course, we get that signature ending. Spoiler: the kidnapped CEO, Michelle Fuller, turns out to actually be an alien — and not just any alien, but the empress herself. In the final act, after barely escaping Earth, she decides to finally destroy humanity, framing it as a necessary step in the endless cycle of life — because humans have failed their purpose, and it’s time to give another species a chance.

The acting here is phenomenal. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons play an incredible cat-and-mouse game that’s endlessly entertaining to watch. Both are exceptional, but special mention also goes to Aidan Delbis — his debut performance as a sidekick is remarkably confident and adds just the right dose of absurdity to make the whole thing work.

And yet, despite how technically perfect and thematically right everything feels, it’s hard to call Bugonia one of Lanthimos’ best works. At some point, repetition kicks in. Watching another film with the same main cast, similar storytelling devices, and a familiar tone, you start to feel the formula showing — especially since parts of this story and its conclusions were already explored in last year’s Kinds of Kindness. It’s enjoyable, funny, and probably the most entertaining of Lanthimos’ four-movie run with Emma Stone, but it doesn’t hit as hard this time. Poor Things gave me goosebumps and endless comebacks in my head — and to the cinema; Bugonia doesn’t.

It’s a solid, sharp, well-crafted film — the kind you watch once, laugh, reflect on, appreciate its obvious brilliance, and move on. And maybe that’s the point.

7.5/10