Most of my Saturday Morning Cinema films are gems of yesteryear, nostalgic trips through some of the most highly-regarded movies of Hollywood’s past or from the formative decades that shaped me. This time, however, I went modern from a mix of curiosity and necessity. Bugonia flashed enough intrigue for me through awards season to make me jump on its expiring availability on Peacock. I am admittedly more of a physical media proponent, but my Peacock subscription continued forward from the Winter Olympics. To its credit, Peacock has a fair amount of good content to make the subscription worthwhile (watch the show Ponies if you can). Alas, I am not writing this to justify one of my many subscriptions, even if Peacock’s desire to remove Bugonia’s availability forced my hand into watching the film. Despite that, Bugonia has been high on my watchlist since its release. First, I love the cast. I have been an Emma Stone fan since Superbad, and Jesse Plemons in Game Night is one of my favorite comedic characters of all-time, with range to spare across genres. Second, I had not seen any of director Yorgos Lanthimos’ previous work like Poor Things or The Killing of a Sacred Deer, but those films have always been in my “I really should watch that” category. I am sure he has evolved as a director, but if Bugonia is reflective of those movies’ style, I dig it.
Bugonia was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and deserving of the honor. It is certified fresh at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 85% audience approval score, which typically means the film is legitimately good when critics and fans agree that closely. Metacritic also compiled a 72 rating, so by most accounts, Bugonia should be a good, entertaining film – and IT IS! Honestly, I am surprised I liked this movie as much as I did given my viewing experience was broken into multiple segments after long breaks to chase down a rampaging one-year-old, but each time I was able to hit “play”, I was excited to see what came next and discover the ultimate resolution.
Bugonia has two worlds at play. There is the shiny corporate exterior that most people see. It reflects the normalcy of a developed world and the establishment of tiered societal order. Then, there is the grimy underbelly in which most of the working class lives even if they spend their days interacting with a clean and orderly external facade. Bugonia exists atop a direct conflict between these two worlds. This conflict is reflective of the real world struggle between classes and the sentiment that those in power are directly responsible for the misery experienced by lower classes. The film condemns the callousness with which those who have an ability to alleviate suffering look upon it with such indifference. Bugonia, however, also pokes at the premise that those with power are acting with a logical purpose.
Prime example of this, Emma Stone plays Michelle, representing the shiny corporate world as the disciplined and successful CEO of a medical research company. While there are obvious hints Michelle operates with cold efficiency, she awkwardly recognizes the need to present a softer personality to create a better environment at her company. This leads to uncomfortable interactions where she tries to say what she thinks needs to be said even though it obviously strains against her natural tendencies. At one point in the movie, however, Michelle admits becoming a person she despises in carrying such a cold, heartless demeanor. Whether this is sincere or not cannot be immediately discerned, but the film provides clues around her motivations that allow the viewer to speculate what to believe and what was for show.
Counter to Michelle’s plush existence, Jesse Plemons’ Teddy lives in the grimy grind under the thumb of corporate governance, and he literally wears that grime throughout the film, perpetually looking dingy and unwashed. Teddy’s logic is choked by the angst of his mother being rendered comatose due to a medical experiment conducted by Michelle’s company. He has descended into a realm of psychic instability where he searches for cause and blame for the injustices placed upon his family. This leads to his belief that the world is controlled and threatened by a superior alien race, and he has taken steps to counter their efforts. Teddy’s instability is the foundation for the entire film. This creates uncertainty for the viewer trying to anchor to a protagonist and this world’s truths. Consequently, the uncertainty creates tension in each interaction and twist that help make Bugonia a surprising ride as you try constructing backstories, motivations, and predictions.
Across all the cast, the performances are top-notch. Stone exudes strength and confidence so the viewer gets a clear sense of Michelle’s need to establish control in every situation. Plemons goes full surreality with Teddy’s sincere belief in the unbelievable, showing it is possible to sympathize with a character, shake your head at their beliefs, and then go agog in horror at their actions. There is a level of derangement with all the characters, and this only adds to keeping the viewer on edge.
Stylistically, Bugonia is grainy while maintaining a modern polish that ends up feeling like you are watching an old analog video from the family camcorder. Yet, it is so well refined and presented that it feels perfectly appropriate for 2026. It is not a distracting look, and I instead found the retro modern style pulling me in to engage with each visually appealing scene. The film’s grittiness and framing also create additional intensity around some of the more shocking action. Supporting the visuals, the soundtrack is subtle until it is not. The music will burst in and crescendo to match the intensity of the on-screen activity. This musical styling is reminiscent of silent films where music did as much storytelling as the on-screen talent, and it is a wonderful accompaniment that perfectly fits the film’s style.
While this was a desired watch but ultimately a watch of necessity, I am glad I took the time to watch Bugonia. This film is dark, but it is fun in a way that makes you yearn for the conclusion. Along the way, you may struggle to establish who is good and who is bad; there is logic and deception on both sides, raising the question if a dichotomous relationship even exists. There is entertainment to be had here in ways you want a movie to be entertaining. Bugonia also showcases the evolving talent of Stone and Plemons, which is something to appreciate. Doing even more heavy lifting, this film introduced me to the directorial stylings of Yorgos Lanthimos. The gritty feel of Bugonia’s off-kilter world forces me to elevate Lanthimos’ other work on my watchlist. Modern times do not seem to produce the level of entertaining cinema of decades past, so having a new catalog to check out is a welcome surprise. If you have not already, check out Bugonia; introducing a little weird into your day won’t hurt.
Featured Image: Shutterstock 2024470262 (vetre)
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