Teddy (Jesse Plemons) is a conspiracy theorist and is convinced that the CEO of the company that he works for is an alien. Coercing his simple cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) into being his accomplice they kidnap Michelle (Emma Stone) and set out to get the truth from her. 

As we watch Michelle trying to establish what is the best approach to her precarious situation we slowly begin to learn more about Teddy’s life and the specific theories he believes in. The film balances on a knife edge in terms of both the risk to Michelle’s life and the viability of Teddy’s crazy ideas as it slowly becomes more and more extreme in both its ideas and the absurdist humour it contains. 

The main trio of actors sell the ratcheting levels of crazy with aplomb. Emma Stone plays the sort of focused CEO that you immediately develop a distaste for but still manage to have empathy with as she tries to ascertain if she is more likely to die if she goes along with Teddy’s ideas or tries to persuade him that they are wrong. Jesse Plemons has an equally unlikeable character thanks to his insane beliefs, despicable manipulation of his cousin and treatment of Michelle. And yet Plemons manages to imbue him with a sense of loss that creates an empathetic response. Something that is helped by the rather dark events of his childhood that are only alluded too. Aidan Delbis on the other hand comes the closest to playing a sympathetic character but only because of how he is manipulated by his cousin to aid his schemes. 

Bugonia shares themes with another of this year’s art house triumphs Eddington, with Emma Stone featuring in both. They both focus on conspiracy theories and the way in which social breakdown increases their popularity. And whilst I would champion Eddington as the more interesting film it is Bugonia that is arguably more approachable thanks to its more focused approach and explosive ending. With Eddington leaning much more towards social horror themes and Bugonia leaning more into absurdist humour. They would make a rather mad double bill. 

Bugonia is also the third feature film in a row for director Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone and their fourth together overall. The Favourite and Poor Things are the more mainstream films that have brought Oscar success and Kinds of Kindness and this are much more arthouse endeavours that some may find less palatable. 

I would certainly recommend this one though if only to just experience how out there this specific conspiracy goes.