‘Bugonia’ REVIEW: I Think We’re (Not) Alone Now
‘Bugonia’ REVIEW: I Think We’re (Not) Alone Now
Maggie Fuller (Emma Stone) in Bugonia | Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
Going into Bugonia, I was expecting nothing but pure absurdity and a sheer level of cinematic insanity that Yorgos Lanthimos brings to the table. Having seen Poor Things on the big screen in QCinema 2023, Kinds of Kindness on Disney+, the third straight film in a row from the Greek auteur had me quietly whispering, “What the fuck was that?” — which in itself is how an understatement in describing a Lanthimos film.
The film taps into a simple premise: CEO Maggie Fuller (Emma Stone) of the pharmaceutical megacorporation Auxolith is kidnapped by conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his intellectually disabled cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). Their motive? The two are convinced that Fuller is actually an alien and part of the so-called “Andromedans,” who are set to destroy our beloved Earth.
It’s a baffling premise on face value, and with the Lanthimos touch, adapting it from the 2003 South Korean original, Save the Green Planet!, You know it’ll be intriguing to see his take. Not to mention the added influence of producer Ari Aster, whose input likely shapes the film’s distinctive tone.
Don (Aidan Delbis) and Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) in Bugonia | Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
What I adore about all this is that even with its straightforward premise, Bugonia makes sure to keep stirring the pot, slowly putting all the pieces of the story together. Teddy channels his anger over how his mother is being treated in a hospital after falling into a coma as a test subject for one of the company’s drugs. From his character alone, you get a clear sense of why he does what he does — enough to be completely enthralled by Plemons’s performance. It’s safe to say his range is off the charts, but playing cynical and unhinged characters is practically a walk in the park for him, especially when harking back to his Black Mirror: USS Callister days.
I can’t help but root for the underdogs — the ones who are easily manipulated and lied to by big corporate giants that offer nothing but false promises. Sound familiar? It’s a theme that will always be timely, as long as the rich continue to get richer. It’s through Teddy and Don that we see an uprising from those who have faced injustice and downright cruelty.
Maggie in Bugonia | Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
With Maggie held captive, she gets her hair shaved and her head covered in an antihistamine cream so that the other Andromedans won’t be able to come find her, while she’s imprisoned in Teddy’s basement. With this, the story leans on Maggie, Teddy, and Don — the latter being played by Delbis, who is on the autism spectrum. His performance perfectly contrasts Teddy’s, and although he acts like a follower, he becomes a representation of the audience who questions the morality of everything that’s been happening. In a performance that surprised even me, Delbis brought warmth and earnestness to his portrayal, which acted as a genuine thing amid all the chaos and noise.
As the story slowly unravels, it sheds light on all sides of the same coin. In one corner, we have the evil corporation that continues to exploit ordinary people, while the other side resorts to whatever means necessary, including acts of violence, to fight back. With its firm grip on satirical elements, the film opens a can of worms in discussions about conspiracy theories and the power of social media, while also addressing the responsibility of choosing carefully what to believe. It finds humor through the character's actions, but it makes it even tragic when all of these mirror what happens in our reality.
The film explores Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon in which the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear, leaving the queen with an abundance of food, and uses it as a metaphor for Teddy’s theory that the Andromedans, hiding in corporate power, are systematically destroying both nature and human communities.
Maggie, Don, and Teddy in Bugonia | Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
Meanwhile, much of the heavy lifting was supported by the film’s score from Jerskin Fendrix, a frequent collaborator of Lanthimos. His sweeping compositions evoke a sense of grandeur and otherworldliness, influenced by alien-invasion-centric films of the past. Paired with the absurd premise and the way the abduction sequences unfold, it all comes together like a perfectly crafted meal, ready to be devoured. The score echoes much of what the audience feels as the scenes unfold. For me, it served as a reminder not to be complacent during the film’s quiet moments, thinking that nothing big is bound to happen.
Marching towards the film’s main course and grand reveal, which happens to be the elephant in the room: Is Auxolith’s Maggie Fuller actually an alien or not? Perhaps you have already been spoiled, thanks, of course, to the internet. But Bugonia likes to toy with the audience, encouraging them to embrace the very element that may have sold the film to its viewers and gotten butts into theaters. It’s a matter of will she or won’t she — a type of storytelling that relies heavily on the performances and the setup. You get so much from actors who fully embrace the world they are pulled into, and with Stone, Plemons, and Delbis giving it 100%, you can’t help but want to believe, even if it’s hard.
A shaved Maggie in Bugonia | Photo courtesy of Universal Studios
The final few minutes are worth experiencing, and even my words aren’t enough to describe them. It’s a sudden drop in altitude, leaving you feeling perhaps fooled or lied to throughout the course of the film. Yet it still leaves a satisfying aftertaste that makes it exciting to experience again.
‘Bugonia’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas
