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.

If you’re familiar with Yorgos Lanthimos and expecting something off-kilter, audacious and a little unhinged, then ‘Bugonia’ more than delivers. Emma Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a sharp-suited pharma-CEO who finds herself abducted by two conspiracy-driven men – led by the quietly terrifying Jesse Plemons – convinced she’s an alien sent to Earth to destroy humanity. The film’s roots lie in the 2003 South Korean cult film ‘Save the Green Planet!’, and layering Lanthimos’ twisted sensibility on that source means you’re certainly not going to get your standard Hollywood thriller.

Stone is as brilliant as ever, giving Michelle a cold intelligence that flickers into fear as her carefully controlled manner comes up against an unhinged man that can’t be easily brought under her spell. As for Plemons, he continues to build quite the resume of standout turns: his Teddy is wild, wounded, obsessed, and deeply unpredictable. It’s a riveting performance and the interplay between the two of them (with Aidan Delbis as Teddy’s cousin Don adding some heart) keeping you hooked even when the film veers further into the absurd. It’s no surprise that ‘Bugonia’ is a film that will likely prove divisive – you’ll either fully commit or be turned off as it gets more and more bonkers!

Underneath the thriller and sci-fi trappings, Lanthimos explores interesting themes, touching on eco-collapse, the damage humans do to the planet and the power of corporations, all threaded through his offbeat and often absurd stylings. The kidnap scenario is surreal, but the undercurrent running through feels very relevant to the world we live in today with conspiracies, mistrust of elites, fear of the “other”, and how power is abused and resisted, all part of the narrative. If you’re seeking a conventional thriller you won’t find it with ‘Bugonia’, but if you’re after something stranger and arguably more compelling then this is a wild ride well worth taking and it’s one of Lanthimos’ better films.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt12300742/