Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone's Overdone Partnership

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have undeniably created some striking films together, from The Favourite to Poor Things. Their collaborations often blend sharp surrealism with Stone's fearless performances, delivering moments of brilliance that linger. But let's be honest: their relentless streak of projects is starting to feel like a one-note symphony.

The issue isn't talent-Lanthimos's offbeat vision and Stone's chameleon-like acting are still top-tier. It's the sheer frequency. Back-to-back films with the same director-actor duo can sap the freshness from even the most inventive premises. Their latest efforts, while polished, echo the same quirky, detached tone and stylized weirdness that defined their earlier work. It's like watching a brilliant chef cook the same dish repeatedly-eventually, you crave a new flavor.

Stone's commitment to Lanthimos's eccentric worlds is admirable, but her constant presence risks turning their films into a predictable shtick. The audience deserves variety, and both artists are versatile enough to explore beyond this partnership. A break to work with other directors or actors could reinvigorate their craft and give us something new to savor. For now, this once-exciting collaboration feels like it's overstayed its welcome, leaving a stale aftertaste.

She was so much more enjoyable smirking at various nerdy or psychotic boyfriends in films like "Superbad" and "Irrational Man" than ending up in these weird body dismorphia tracts. Natalie Portman already did the bald thing in "V For Vendetta," here she looks like Tom Hardy in "Star Trek: Resurrection?" Something. Jesse Plemons has played pretty much the same All-American disassociated sociopath since "Breaking Bad," so on. Just go find Jesse Eisenberg and Jonah Hill and go make something fun; the world already has enough endless nightmares off the screen.

Here's a take on a "bad review" style comment about Emma Stone "always playing Emma Stone" in movies:

Review: Emma Stone is, once again, Emma Stone. Whether she's supposed to be a struggling artist, a superhero's girlfriend, or a historical figure, she brings the same wide-eyed quirk, awkward laugh, and charmingly clumsy energy. It's less about watching a character and more about watching Emma Stone cosplay different wardrobes. At this point, casting her feels like ordering the "Emma Stone special"-you know exactly what you're getting, and if you were hoping for depth or transformation, you'll leave hungry.

This movie is a really good mix of genres in typical lanthimos styles, there's especially a lot of his sicked black humour as well as unexpected drama, horror and sci fi. Performances are all great but it's the finale that for me really elevates the movie. Funny, coherent, surprising, visually amazing.

The soundtrack was great too, looking forward to its general release to see the audience reaction.