Bugonia: Yorgos Lanthimos' Take on Humanity's Downward Spiral

Yorgos Lanthimos does not disappoint at all with this weird spectacle called Bugonia that has a cohesive story, a well structured plot and even a satisfying ending ( for some at least ).

Bugonia is based on a Korean movie that dropped in 2003, called Save The Green planet where two blue collar workers abduct a high-profile CEO believing he is an alien.

The Plot of Bugonia

The plot revolves around Jesse Plemons abducting Emma Stone, a high-powered CEO whom he suspects to be an alien from years of thorough personal research which might as well be paranoia. The story kicks off when Plemons mom played by Alicia Silverstone is bedridden due to a medical condition, fuelling the resolve of Plemons to set things right both in his life and in the world in general.

Lanthimos' takes us on a ride through the mind of the working class individual in the US and the indignities and injustices they are made to suffer due to a capitalist society that is devoid of empathy and humanity.

I expected more of an edge in this movie when it comes to certain aspects of the plot. But the there are plenty of jump scares in the movie ( some of which are just the director's propensity to dramatize situations and so on ) But the movie did not disappoint, it was scary, violent, soft, hopeful and tragic all at the same time.

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Plemons gives us a nuanced performance as Teddy that is different from the unsettling psychopath he usually plays movies such as Civil War, Date Night and even in two of the Black Mirror episodes. Emma Stone's performance as Michelle Fuller is praiseworthy, although - compared to her role in Poor Things, this would have been a cakewalk for her. Aidan Delbis plays Teddy's right hand man Don and adds a lot to the plot in terms of Teddy using him as a sounding board and added muscle.

What is or what does Bugonia mean?

It refers to a ritual that may or may not have taken place with some regularity where bees emerged out of the carcass of an ox when it is slaughtered without spilling blood. Suffering for the Ox was a given during this ritual.

Why did Lanthimos choose to call this movie by that name?

Well, the director says that it sounds like both a flower and another planet making it stand out. Here is an IG reel of him explaining the same.

Visuals, Cinematography, and Sound Design

The cinematography and sound design in this movie is near flawless which again would have been a cake walk for Lanthimos' after Poor Things. Although I feel in certain parts of the movie Lanthimos' would have peed his pants laughing at the unexpected scares he planted for the audience to discover. Visuals are flush with colors and contrast that are highly enjoyable and add to the story a great deal.

Lanthimos' does not leave this story open ended and tells a cohesive story where all plot elements serve some sort of a purpose in the larger narrative, with the film even giving the audience the luxury of a clean and definite ending.

The pacing of the movie is perfect - its neither too slow, nor too fast - just right which I think is lot easier said than done for most movie makers. The conceptual aspects of tech used in the movie are realistic, in-keeping for the situation and believable. This movie just had me watching it throughout without rooting for either side which might be to the credit of the director, and probably takes a high level of skill to have it feel this way.

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After watching a few movies ( unrelated to this one in any way ) I have decided that if you need to watch a movie twice to understand it further in order to enjoy it better then its not worth the second watch. That being said this movie is credit to cinema in general with interesting movie making techniques and good storytelling that sticks with you long after the movie has ended.

Addressing Real World Issues

Income Inequality, Rigged Systems of Wealth

You cant help but take this movie as a metaphor depicting the billionaires in the world who ensure the gulf between the rich and the poor is maintained through the generations. Also Stone's character is somewhat of a cross between Jeff Bezos ( pervasiveness ) Elon Musk ( Eccentric Innovator ) and Elizabeth Holmes ( medical domain, and an element of fraud ). Emma Stone doesn't seem normal right from the start when she asks " Where's my hair" instead of "Why did you shave my head" when she wakes up from her abduction.

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Coming to the cinematography Lanthimos' draws our attention to the declining bee population in the world in real time, tying it into the movie plot.

Lanthimos' also references mental health issues ranging from deep trauma from personal tragedy in the family and the resulting depression to the long-term effects of surviving sexual abuse that is hinted at in the storyline.

Governments that Keep Citizens Distracted

Another important theme that is addressed in this movie and is also repeatedly broached by sci-fi authors - keeping the crowds in a sedated state through chemical ( Soma in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World ) or electronic means ( social media ).

Mo Amer is an American Stand-up comedian and actor who has addressed this directly in his comedy special about how the US government kept the people distracted during the COVID pandemic by using cash, news about UFO encounters, crypto and a whole lot more so that they wont question the ones in charge.

Tech Monopolies

Lina Khan, the ex FTC in the US has talked about how tech monopolies are fast becoming a threat in no uncertain terms towards a balanced socio-economic dynamic between the people.

There is also a section in the movie where Stone says that the work timings need to end at 5:30 pm, while getting the work done on a corporate message to the employees and the public. This is, was and probably will be a continuing issue with employers in most parts of the world where hours logged are required, regardless of productivity.

Should You Watch This? Hell Yes!

This movie isn't ground-breaking by Lanthimos' own standards, but it stands out from the crowd by being original in style, contains a substantial plot, is executed well and even has an ending with a bow on it! Watch it!