Bugonia

Don't get me wrong, Emma Stone is terrific here, carrying that same cool, unreadable spark that Tilda Swinton built a career on, only with a younger, brighter edge. Stone has already collected two Oscars, though, and what really catches you off guard is Jesse Plemons, who turns in a performance so sharp and so unsettling that you keep thinking you've never quite seen him push himself like this.

"Bugonia" eases in with what looks like a simple setup, just two men talking, one dominating the dialogue while the other tries to keep pace, and before you realize it the whole thing has shifted into a story that moves fast yet stays grounded enough to feel like something that could unfold a few blocks from where you live. I was hooked from the first scene and stayed that way nearly all the way through, though the ending lingers longer than it needs to, just enough to place it a step below "Poor Things." Even so, it is unmistakably a Yorgos Lanthimos production, and it carries that same strange, irresistible flavor that makes his work so easy to sink into.

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.

Watching *Bugonia* felt strange in the best possible way. Lanthimos throws you into a world where nothing feels entirely normal - the rules are odd, people react in unpredictable ways, and yet something about all this chaos feels oddly familiar. You laugh, but there's always tension underneath it, like you're waiting for something to go wrong. The emotions hit harder than expected, even in moments that seem absurd on paper.

The story follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap Michele (played by Emma Stone), a corporate figure they believe is an alien trying to destroy Earth. It sounds ridiculous - and it is - but Lanthimos uses that absurdity to dig into paranoia, power, and the strange ways people cling to belief when faced with uncertainty.

Visually, the film looks beautiful and a bit unsettling. Shooting on 35mm gives it texture - the kind of imperfections, shadows, and lighting you don't get with digital. It makes the world feel alive, slightly out of sync, and that's exactly what this story needs. The camera work feels intentional without being flashy, every frame adding to the unease.

The tone is darkly funny but emotionally sharp. Lanthimos doesn't offer easy answers or explanations. He just builds tension through behavior - through silence, through glances, through moments that should be funny but end up being uncomfortable. Emma Stone stands out; she plays Michele with a mix of calm control and quiet menace that holds the film together.

It's one of those films that doesn't fully explain itself, and maybe that's the point. You either go along with its strange rhythm or you don't. For me, it worked - not because everything made sense, but because it felt honest in its chaos. Lanthimos doesn't tell you what to think, he just lets the madness unfold, and somehow, that's what makes it stick.

**Verdict:** 9/10 - not as tight as *The Favourite*, but easily Lanthimos's boldest and most unpredictable work since *The Lobster*.

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Bugonia is a classic Yorgos Lanthimos movie as it examines the darkest parts of human nature in a characteristically darkly comedic fashion but it also offers something different when it operates as a tense thriller. It's a neatly structured film that only gets better once things properly escalate in a genuinely shocking way and it reaches a satisfying conclusion. This is another recent release which really feels of the moment.

Jesse Plemons is amazing by being fully committed to the naivety of his character which makes him equally threatening and gullible. Emma Stone is effortlessly confident and funny as she slowly begins to control the situation, continuing her winning collaboration with Yorgos in a way that shows her full potential once again. It's the constantly shifting power play between these two that keeps it so investing and unpredictable.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos delivers one of his strongest films to date where the trademark surrealism feels more appropriate thanks to the premise whilst working with some of his most consistent collaborators behind the camera. Robbie Ryan's cinematography knows how to make each scene look beautiful and surreal at the same time, complimented by Jerskin Fendrix's suitably paranoid score ensuring everything feels ominous when needed.

Lanthimos strikes again! And it's another masterpiece. Black Comedy, Satire, Social critic on internet conspiracy theories, weird, absurd, witty, bloody and last but not least a nihilistic comment on mankind working on its own extinction.

And what an intelligent screenplay it is! And all in all an exciting and entertaining movie with surprising twists. How many times can you leave the theatre feeling refreshed and inspired, because you know you have just watched something you have never seen on a screen before? Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons deliver great performances, on top of their skills. It's such a pleasure to watch actors with their depth and intensity.

I loved the whole experience, it's a brilliant movie, strongly recommended.