Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest film is a complex exploration of consumerism, conspiracism, and humanity’s pathological need for destruction. Like most of his films, it’s an avant-garde approach to filmmaking that won’t resonate with many mainstream cinema-goers, but I found it to be a tremendous film that is easily a contender for this year’s Oscar for Best Film. The film follows Teddy, a supposed conspiracy theorist, who, alongside his cousin Don, plots to kidnap Michelle Fuller, the powerful CEO of a pharmaceutical company that he believes to be part of an alien species responsible for the moral, economic, and social decay of society. Cinematographically the film doesn’t deviate from most of his other work with the use of long steady cam shots and shallow focus close ups, but the films score perfectly encapsulates the themes of the film. The highlight of the film however for me is how Yargos masterfully puts us into the mind of Teddy, and likeminded conspiracy theorists, through its direction. Until the very end I found myself conflicted as to whether Michelle was an alien and who the actual antagonist of the film was. 10/10 absolutely tremendous.