Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. I’m not an Andromedon.

I really didn’t think I would love this film this much. I feel like it is putting all other films by Yorgos Lanthrimos into a different light. Like, did I really like Poor Things as much as I did? when you feel like a director has reached their peak, and then they climb higher, the byproduct becomes that everything is now below it, and has slipped down a spot. Bugonia is one of those films I know is in my Top 10. it does help that the year is nearly over, but the fact that I’ve now seen this twice also helps solidify that statement. I loved Bugonia.

It is a remake of the Korean film Save The Green Planet, and taps into our conspiracy theory culture. All those Q-Anon people out there, this movie could be about them. Remember when that guy showed up at the pizza place to free the kids from the non-existent basement? Yorgos takes that vibe, and makes it one of our protagonists. And, what he does here is crafty. Technically, the film has dual leads in Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. But, Plemons is introduced to us as a potentially crazy individual who still passes for intelligent, knowledgeable, and caring. He has convinced his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) who is on the spectrum, and it is hard to tell if Plemons’s teddy has always been this involved, or it comes from necessity. Either way, these two are about to kidnap the CEO of a mega corporation (Stone), who Teddy believes is an alien, and that her race has been sent to destroy humanity. He plans on using his knowledge to force her to request a meeting with her high Emperor.

I have to be careful to not give anything away, because the brilliance of Yorgos is how he convincingly makes Teddy seem off his rocker in some moments, but also plausible a few times. he is matched in this battle of wits, and teddy came to show up. This might be my favorite Jesse Plemons performance, because of how carefully he has to walk this line. Yorgos also saddles him with the idea that he suffered childhood trauma as he was molested by a babysitter, who is now the local Sheriff, and persistently apologetic.

If I had one note, it would be the representation of don. there are implications that he isn’t just autistic, but possibly just slow. Teddy delivers some of his lines like Don is a child, and he needs a pep talk. It would help to know how close these two were before, because for a cousin that has presumably been a part of his life, Teddy really treats his autistic cousin differently sometimes. I’m encouraged by the representation on screen, which is far better than something like The Unbreakable Boy, but I wonder if we couldn’t have done more to make Don feel like he knows he’s smart, but has to work through his challenges like every other autistic individual. I’ve met so many people across the spectrum, even some who have a hard time carrying on a conversation, but they are also brilliant in so many respects. I feel like Don never has his thing, and instead is just a shadow for Teddy.

that’s it. My only qualm. Stone is perfect, though I wouldn’t keep giving her Oscars every time she teams up with Yorgos. Jesse is in a much more dynamic role than the one he got an Oscar nomination for. I know Focus Features has Hamnet, which feels like it is taking over their Oscar race, but they could easily get a second Best picture nomination here.

The audio description was pretty great. My first screening of the film I didn’t have it, and there was clearly enough to make me want to know what was happening in certain parts. the description does not disappoint, as it points out a lot of the bursts of random violence, which are sometimes serious, and other times comically over the top. but the real winner here is the score, composed by Jerskin Fendrix who balances a score that is just as appropriate for a dark comedy as it is a thriller. he also benefits from the focus on bees, which help the overall sound design. Easily one of the standout scores of the year, and instantly recognizable.

this is just so off kilter, quirky, wickedly smart, irreverently hilarious, and even timely in ways Eddington hoped it could be, commenting on what spending too much time online can do to you. Then again, there’s always the chance she’s an alien. but that’s just bananas, right?

Everyone is on fire in Bugonia, which has the pleasure of being unforgettable, rewatchable, and a reflection of our times. Backed by one of the best scores of the year, Bugonia is a Top 10 film for sure.

Final Grade: 8.9/10