Bugonia Fantastic Fest Review: Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons Deliver Career-Best Performances

Bugonia is equal parts bold, hilarious, and horrifying.

Yorgos Lanthimos‘ track record for releasing bonkers movies (Poor Things & Kinds of Kindness) with powerhouse performances remains uncompromised with the release of ‘Bugonia’, his newest film starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. ‘Bugonia’, a remake of the South Korean film ‘Save the Green Planet!’, features Stone as Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, who is kidnapped by Teddy (Plemons), who believes Fuller is an alien working amongst us in a master plan to destroy Earth.

Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons Deliver

In her fourth collaboration with Lanthimos, Stone delivers an absolutely incredible performance, which garnered considerable early attention due to the fact that the role required her to have her head shaved during filming. It’s remarkable how believable Stone is as an empowered female CEO who remains strong and confident in the face of her captivity.

What’s shocking is that not only does Plemons match her onscreen, his performance might somehow be even more incredible as the paranoid, conspiracy-obsessed beekeeper who thinks he’s doing the people of Earth a favor. He plays his paranoia with such self-assured resolution that it matches the level of intensity found on today’s social media platforms. Yet, he also manages to be a character the audience can get behind, making it all the more terrifying. Some scenes of Stone and Plemons exchanging dialogue had my jaw agape as I watched these performances unfold.

As is Lanthimos’ style, the film comments on current events—and it’s not exactly subtle. While heightened, it could make viewers averse to the rapid increase of conspiracy theories online feel a bit uncomfortable, but it’s worth it for the performances alone. Plus, the setting and sense of space that Lanthimos creates are unparalleled, not to mention the booming score of Jerskin Fendrix that really leaves its mark.

Verdict

‘Bugonia’ features a couple of the best performances of the year so far in a bonkers story that definitely “goes there.” It’s bold, funny, and horrifying at the same time. Catch it in theaters on October 31st.