Emma Stone’s latest film, Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Will Tracy, debuted in select theaters on October 24. This release follows the highly anticipated collaboration between Stone and Lanthimos, known for pushing boundaries in cinema, yet Bugonia struggles to deliver a compelling experience despite its intense themes and talented cast.
Background on the Creative Partnership of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos
The synergy between actor and director teams frequently defines major cinematic milestones, as seen with Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant or Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. In recent years, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have established their own distinct partnership. Lanthimos had already earned international recognition for films like Dogtooth and The Lobster before working with Stone, but their collaboration on The Favourite marked a turning point. The Favourite, a bawdy and darkly comedic film, captured 10 Oscar nominations and won Best Actress for Olivia Colman, cementing the duo’s critical success. Their next effort, Poor Things, delved further into bold storytelling, combining the provocative humor of The Favourite with surreal science fiction elements, winning four Oscars including Best Actress and Best Picture.
Though Poor Things was their most popular film, their following project, Kinds of Kindness, received mixed reviews and limited audience engagement due to its unsettling and unconventional narratives. Bugonia follows as their newest venture, taking on a remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! Despite thematic potential in addressing social conflicts and conspiracy theories, Bugonia surprisingly feels restrained and safe in execution, diverging from their usual daring approach.
The Plot and Central Themes of Bugonia
Bugonia revolves around Teddy (Jesse Plemons), a beekeeper and conspiracy theorist who believes extraterrestrial invaders have already infiltrated Earth. Teddy blames the pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone) for both the planet’s environmental decline, including the vanishing bee populations, and his mother’s critical health condition. Teddy, who lives in decay alongside his impressionable cousin Don (Aidan Delbis), embarks on a plan to kidnap Michelle in hopes of negotiating with what he perceives as the alien leadership controlling humanity’s fate.
In this adaptation, the kidnapped CEO character is changed from male to female, adding a layer of commentary on gender dynamics, particularly within the American manosphere, where empowered women are often viewed with suspicion or hostility. Michelle represents a threat not only to Teddy’s worldview but also to his sense of masculinity and authority, increasing the psychological tension between captor and captive.
Driven by nightmares about his ailing mother, portrayed by Alicia Silverstone, Teddy resents Michelle for her power, wealth, and unnerving composure even when confronted with dire events. His violent actions toward Michelle—including chloroforming her, abducting her, shaving her head to prevent “calls for help,” and dressing her in his mother’s clothes—reflect both his desperation and twisted effort to reclaim lost control over his family and the world.
The Intense Confrontation Between Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone
The core of Bugonia is the intense, escalating battle of wills between Teddy and Michelle. Jesse Plemons delivers a performance full of raw energy and complexity, embodying Teddy’s unpredictable mixture of delusion and aggression. Visually, Teddy’s appearance is unkempt and disheveled, with a scruffy beard and ill-fitting attire contrasting sharply with Michelle’s polished and composed business persona. Even when Teddy attempts to adopt a serious facade by wearing a suit, his dilapidated appearance undermines his credibility, highlighting his tragic buffoonish nature as he rants about alien conspiracies.
Emma Stone’s portrayal of Michelle blends calm resilience with increasingly varied tactics for survival, shifting from patient endurance to subtle manipulation and assertiveness as Teddy’s hostility grows. Their verbal exchanges brim with tension but ultimately lose momentum, settling into a repetitive cycle that diminishes the impact of their confrontations over time.
The Film’s Exploration of Social Issues and Its Uneven Execution
Bugonia attempts to weave together multiple provocative themes, such as environmental destruction, class struggle, conspiracy theory culture, oligarchy, and critiques of healthcare profiteering. While the film’s premise suggests a sharp political commentary, the messaging becomes muddled by the chaotic and often bleak narrative. The intended thriller elements, including the abduction and impending manhunt for a high-profile female executive, take a backseat to the psychological standoff between Teddy and Michelle, leaving audiences uncertain about what to believe or feel.
The film’s production design effectively conveys decay and dissonance using a suffocating yellow color palette that symbolizes mental and societal deterioration. While this visual contrast between rot and refinement underlines the characters’ conflict, the film falters in maintaining narrative drive, especially as the story approaches its unpredictable and violent climax. The scenes often feel trapped in repetitive dialogue loops, failing to build sufficient tension or deliver meaningful resolution, which may be an intentional reflection of humanity’s endless conflicts but leaves viewers unsettled rather than engaged.
Comparisons to Previous Works by the Duo and Overall Impact
Reflecting on Stone and Lanthimos’ previous films highlights Bugonia’s relative shortcomings. The Favourite stands out for its sharp satire and dynamic chemistry among Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, while Poor Things captivates audiences with its blend of grotesque imagination and emotional depth. Even the more cryptic Kinds of Kindness intrigues with its mysterious, difficult vignettes.
By comparison, Bugonia, despite featuring a high-caliber cast and ambitious vision, lacks the profound insight or entertainment value that defined the duo’s earlier successes. The film’s broad array of hot-button topics becomes a confusing mix rather than a coherent statement, and the gripping performances by Stone and Plemons cannot fully compensate for the stagnant pacing and unresolved emotional weight. After all the tension, violence, and psychological warfare, the viewer is left with a numb sense of discomfort instead of clarity, amusement, or outrage.
Bugonia’s release represents an important but flawed addition to Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos’ collaborations, demonstrating the risks and challenges in tackling complex and controversial subject matter. How future projects might evolve from this experience remains to be seen, but this film signals a need for a more focused and engaging approach to their storytelling ambitions.
