Streaming And Screaming: Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Bugonia’
by Tito W. James
Bugonia is Yorgos Lanthimos’ modernization of the Korean film Save the Green Planet. It satirizes contemporary concerns –where men who have fallen on hard times fall even harder into rabbit-holes of conspiracy theories. The scary part is how these personal delusions can lead to real world harm.
Per the synopsis, “Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.”
Lanthimos has proven adept at creating thriller/dark comedies within limited environments. This has the claustrophobic feel of his earlier work like The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer but with the more colorful crowd-pleasing elements of Poor Things. The film continues the winning creative collaboration of Lanthimos and Emma Stone; fans of their previous work will enjoy this.
Bugonia is now streaming on Peacock.
