Bugonia

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone
Running Time: 118 min.
Rating: R

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

When it comes to successful director/actor collaborations, it's hard to find a recent creative pairing that's resulted in as many divisive opinions as the teaming of Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and Oscar winner Emma Stone. And while their eccentric black comedies have pulled increasingly daring performances out of her, it's also further catapulted the career of an actress who's proven to be an ideal match for his idiosyncratic sensibilities. So just when it's popular for dissenters to complain they've worked together too much or a break would do both some good, a film like Bugonia comes along, reminding us what a terrible idea that is.    

For a little while, you may even trick yourself into believing this is somehow more accessible than The Favourite, Poor Things or Kinds of Kindness. Don't worry, it's not. Though undeniably funny at points, this is Lanthimos' bleakest, headiest film, despite the relatively straightforward, small scale thriller it masquerades as in its opening minutes. A scathing, pessimistic social commentary with a certifiably insane final act, it both confounds and enthralls, taking us on a wild trip down this Kubrickian rabbit hole by way of The Twilight Zone. Only when it's over will it start to make complete sense, forcing us to backtrack and reevaluate everything we originally assumed was true. 

High-powered pharmaceutical company CEO Michelle Fuller (Stone) is abducted and held captive in the basement of unhinged conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). Accused of being a member of the Andromedan alien species, Teddy theorizes her kind have come to destroy the planet by killing off the honey bees and enslaving the human race. Shaving her head and covering her body in antihistamine cream, he gives Michelle four days to arrange a meeting with the Andromedan emperor before the lunar eclipse.

As Teddy eagerly anticipates the mothership's arrival on Earth, the kidnapped executive vehemently  denies his wacky accusations, offering to cut a deal for her release and warning him the authorities will eventually in. But as Teddy tortures Michelle, it's revealed her company's botched drug trial left his mother Sandy (Alicia Silverstone) comatose, shedding more light on a likely motive. But with Michelle plotting her escape as the eclipse rapidly approaches, Teddy remains committed to saving humanity.

Adapted from the 2003 South Korean film Save The Green Planet! this closely follows the original's narrative while still having its own unique and distinctive vision. It begins intriguingly enough, with an unkempt Teddy and Don training for something you'd assume is extremely bizarre just by how they talk, act and even look. But recreational beekeeper Teddy is the obvious leader, his brain so riddled from the dark web he's now dragged his emotionally vulnerable cousin along for the ride. He lectures a confused Don on aliens but it's unclear what his specific plan to stop it entails, at least beyond some yoga and a shopping trip to Goodwill. 

In juxtaposing Teddy's dark, isolated house from an earlier era with Michelle's ultra-modern residence, it soon comes into focus how their vastly different worlds will collide. She may be the target, but possesses more than enough self-defense skills to make her abduction difficult for these two bumbling country bumpkins. In her opening scenes she comes across as the portrait of control and composure at company headquarters, but the real power struggle begins once she's drugged, shaved bald and shackled to a bed. Teddy calls the shots, manipulating a hapless, reluctant Don to follow his lead as he tries to coax Michelle into admitting she's an alien with violent and antagonistic interrogation techniques. 

Teddy puts all three of them in a no-win situation since an alien isn't likely to admit they are one, especially if their species is orchestrating what he predicts. And even in the unlikely scenario that's true, he's not the guy topping anyone's list to rescue the human race from such a catastrophic threat. So when faced with this irrational captor, Michelle attempts to talk and reason her way out, verbally manipulating Teddy with the same cutthroat, disingenuous tactics she uses as a CEO. 

Stone gives her most complex, ferocious performance yet as character with unreadable dimensions, refusing to roll over or give in, no matter how precarious the situation gets. Physically and mentally, Michelle's put through the wringer while Stone ensures we never have her figured out, even as our feelings toward this woman shift with each shocking and unsettling development. She'll also undergo the most memorable one take head shaving we've seen since Natalie Portman in V For Vendetta.

While Michelle stands her ground opposite the trigger tempered kidnapper, we sense her battle might be as much about gaining the upper hand, even if Lanthimos knows audience sympathy will lay with a kidnapped woman over two men who aren't all mentally there. Michelle wisely plays Teddy's game before turning her attention toward the empathetic Don. Viewers will desperately want to believe she cares what happens to him, but he's just a pawn for both, and maybe the film's only true innocent victim. 

Suspicions Michelle is hiding something grow when flashbacks reveal how Teddy's mom suffered from her company's malfeasance. And the more we learn about Teddy's backstory, the murkier our feelings about her get, though not enough to seriously entertain his tinfoil rantings. The early introduction of local cop Casey (Stavros Halkias) appears to be obvious foreshadowing, but Lanthimos also subverts those expectations as the character unlocks another facet to Teddy's tragic past, confirming he's had it far worse than originally thought.

Recently called on to carry more films of this magnitude as a lead, Plemons brings a needed pathos to this conspiracy nut harboring a deeply personal grudge. He's so off-the-wall in his extreme methods that we cringe at the thought there's any truth to his ramblings, even as the actor subtly hints at how we may have seriously underestimated him. A more overlooked turn comes from autistic actor Aidan Delbis, whose Don lacks the emotional bandwith to deal with this situation, crumbling as he's led astray by a cousin he loves, but can't challenge.

Upon reaching the final act, there's a temptation to assume how it concludes, only to be blown away when these characters make decisions that cause us to rethink what's actually happening. What started as a thriller with satirical underpinnings takes an unpredictably crazy detour in its closing half hour, traveling down a road where any number of potential outcomes seem possible. That Lanthimos ends this as he does speaks volumes, further confirming he's a filmmaker incapable of playing it safe or taking the easy way out. So much so that even those on the fence are still forced to admit the execution is unforgettably haunting and ripe for repeated viewings, if only to confirm what we just saw with our own eyes.                        

Poor Things

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, Hanna Schygulla, Keeley Forsyth
Running Time: 142 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things pivots from an extremely weird, Frankenstein-inspired horror fantasy into something really special, but you'll know when it gets there. An oddly acquired taste that only grows stronger with each wacky, sensational development, in some ways it stylistically recalls the best of Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton before both got swallowed up by the system. But while still somehow managing to feel completely original, it's also a great twisted social satire, unironically navigating morally complicated waters to provide a thrilling, frequently hilarious experience. 

Given the MPAA's famously low tolerance for sex and nudity, Lanthimos's ability to escape with an 'R' rating is a feat in itself, as what starts as a Universal monster movie morphs into this globe trekking, fantastical comedy-adventure. With a steampunk infused look and imaginative production design, its atmosphere is unmatched by anything else in the genre, even as it's sometimes difficult to classify what that genre exactly is. It covers a lot of ground, all of which is navigated in Emma Stone's fearless performance. And while everyone's been talking about her willingness to go all out for the film's many graphic and controversial scenes, that's secondary to the other unexpected places she takes this unique character.

In Victorian London, an eccentric, facially disfigured surgeon named Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is looking after the childlike Bella (Stone), a young woman who while pregnant killed herself by jumping off a bridge. Now functioning with an infant's mind after Godwin replaces her brain with that of her unborn baby's, he recruits med student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) to track Bella's progress. But after falling in love with her and proposing marriage at Godwin's insistence, sleazy lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) arrives to finalize the contract.  

In the midst of exploring her own body and burgeoning sexual desires, Bella agrees to run off with Duncan, leaving Max behind, while Godwin moves on to another human project. But the mismatched couple's adventurous romp turns into a disaster when an increasingly curious Bella yearns to experience the world on her terms. As a whiny, insecure Duncan attempts to tighten the reigns and assert control over her, Bella must use the experience she's gained to decide between following this troublesome path or returning to the only life she knows. 

Based on Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel, this begins in classic horror territory, right down to an obsessively brilliant doctor's experiment and Robbie Ryan's stark black and white cinematography. Even before Godwin's pressured by Max for answers, it doesn't take long to figure out Bella is as much a test subject as the mutant animals found on the grounds. But it's Stone's mannerisms, physicality, line delivery and  distinct walk that reflects a child's mental and emotional inability to function within this adult woman's body. 

Lanthimos and Stone to make some bold choices that will immediately have viewers rooting Bella on, even in the cringiest of scenes. While Bella's decision to run away with Duncan is clearly a response to her character's sexual curiosity, it's the slimy suitor who seems more desperately in need of a brain and personality transplant, revealing himself a far bigger baby than Bella. But it's through his shenanigans that real change overtakes her, though not necessarily the kind Duncan wants. Stone may be remarkable but Ruffalo is perfect as her foil, bringing a quirky likeability to a drunken, debaucherous man child who's mentally unraveling at the mere thought of Bella openly questioning the rules of sophisticated society.

After a hugely entertaining dance number that serves as the first act's centerpiece, Bella and Duncan embark on a transformative cruise that Lanthimos fills with vibrant colors and jaw-dropping effects that resemble a dreamscape come to life. And there's a great interlude involving two passengers (played by Jerrod Carmichael and Hanna Schygulla) that further fuel Bella's philosophical curiosity and Duncan's eventual breakdown. 

When Bella winds up working in a brothel under the loony Madame Swiney (Kathryn Hunter), we already have ideas where this can go, at least until Tony McNamara's script subverts those expectations, using it as a thematic launching pad for Bella's final challenge. Going back to face the ailing father figure who deceived her and fiancé she abandoned, an even bigger obstacle awaits in reconciling the person she was with who she's now become.

By returning to the husband and life she had before leaping to her death, Bella attempts to flee from the men in her life, only to find herself back in a similar prison. General Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott) is just like the rest of them, but worse, leaving little wonder as to why "Victoria" felt there was no escape. With Bella now occupying the vessel that woman once resided, a new reality emerges when she takes matters into her own hands, utilizing the knowledge and experience she's gained to assert her independence. 

The victim of a medical procedure gone awry, or maybe exactly as planned, Bella navigates the world through different eyes, discovering it's just as cruel and unforgiving as when she first left it. Fully equipped with the tools to break those shackles, she gets the last laugh by shaping her own destiny. Brilliantly bizarre but hardly inaccessible, Lanthimos knows what he doing, endlessly imaginative in how he brings all these realistic sensibilities to a demented fairy tale. But everything comes down to Stone, who hits all the notes an actress possibly can in a single role, taking us on a wild, mind bending trip that isn't easy to shake.