Emma Stone has had a recent knack for really strange, interesting roles in the movies I've watched lately. Thoroughly enjoying Poor Things, (I've not yet read the book) - I decided that I would be very, extremely late to the party and watch Bugonia.
What a splendid choice that was. It is filled with so many cinematic and fictional references - and crosses the line from conspiracy to truth so willingly, so haphazardly, that it is a beautiful film that may just one day become a cult classic.
It ends speculatively, but the delivery from the first frame to the really satisfying conclusion is one which is full of perfect tension, a plot that is easy to follow, and sprinkled with amusing, laugh out loud moments which go beyond the dialogue.
The instrumental music in the film is funny. The uncanniness is creepy, and the characters are very well acted. Emma Stone might be the star, as the CEO / leader of a massive company, who finds herself abducted by two conspiracy theory nutcases -Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis). There's also the creepy small town copy who was once the baby sitter of the duo - Casey (Stavros Halkias) - and this - as a character is very interesting.
A police procedual written by the character of Casey would be a fascinating read, seeing the children he (allegedly) cared for devolve into the men he finds as an adult - yet - he is unable to see (as a consequence of perhaps his care) - the fact that he is to blame, along with a myriad of other factors which lead to the root cause, the catalyst, if you will, of the deep, cavernous dive into conspiracy that Teddy guides Don through.
I cannot say much more about the plot without spoiler, so I will instead talk about the beautifully dilapidated sets that are present in every scene of the film. From the unfinished corporate offices with exposed air conditioning ducts and wired cable runs (its an aesthetic, not cost saving, we swear, cry corporate architects) to the country home on a parcel of overgrown land, replete with untidy, dishevelled gardens, shelves, and a 1960s un-renovated aesthetic filled with clutter, kitsch and clashing patterns.
It is ugly, but it is life, and it is so beautifully detailed, right down to the costumes, the edges of pavers, and the kitchen cabinets. What a beautiful film.
The acting is exceptional too. Delbis as Don is wonderful, and Emma stone makes this another collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos - who, if you remember the first paragraph of this - directed Poor Things. I have since now learned there are other films in this series of collaborations, and there's no hard guesses as to what I will pursue next.
This film ends with some of the most beautiful tableaus of imagery - and well, you - simply must watch it to get the whole point of the film. I am sure many of you already have, so you'll have to excuse me for being so late to the party. But I'm here now, and what a joy.
