HBO Max's #2 Movie Is the Most Unusual Sci-Fi Gem of the Last Year With 4 Oscar Noms
If you didn't see this flick last year, now is the time to catch up.
Yorgos Lanthimos, the director who made us both weep over Colin Farrell in The Lobster and fear Barry Keoghan in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, continues to amaze.
His Bugonia received four Oscar nominations and recently became the second most-watched project on HBO Max. And here's why you need to see it.
What Is 'Bugonia' About?
Michelle, the confident CEO of a major company, is kidnapped by two enthusiasts who have set up a base in the basement of a house in Georgia. Don is the diligent enforcer, while Teddy, the mastermind of the operation, believes that Michelle is an alien capable of enslaving humanity.
Teddy plans to stop her or take her to a ship during the next full moon. His mother is in a coma, and no one on Earth cares about him.
Michelle appears vulnerable and weak, but her talent for diplomacy and psychology allows her to orchestrate her own abduction.
'Bugonia' Is Another Brilliant Collaboration Between Emma Stone & Yorgos Lanthimos
Bugonia is the third film in a row that Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have collaborated on, and it is fueled by their creative rapport. The director pushes the actress to her limits: Stone, with her shaved head, appears both vulnerable and terrifying on camera.
Jesse Plemons, enjoying a career renaissance, plays a conspiracy theorist who evokes pity and fear. Teddy is a blend of Fox Mulder and the fanatics from Roland Emmerich's movies – he genuinely believes in a noble cause.
His duet with Stone is a tense game of cat and mouse where every move could be the last. Lanthimos' cinematography and visual style create a claustrophobic atmosphere that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
'Bugonia' Is a Worthy Conspiracy Satire, a Rare Find in Modern Cinema
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The movie's title refers to a ritual in which bees are born from the carcass of a dead cow, which is a metaphor for a new civilization being built on the ruins of an old one. Lanthimos is not often considered a humanist, so it's unsurprising that the humans in the film don't deserve salvation.
A remake of the South Korean movie Save the Green Planet!, Bugonia is a vibrant, expressive, and brutal movie about conspiracy theories, trust, and the power of persuasion.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Bugonia'?
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Bugonia has 87% from critics and 84% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.4/10.
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On Letterboxd, Bugonia scored 3.8/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Bugonia'?
Bugonia is available to stream on Netflix.
