By Sofia Rudus ’26
Bzzzzz. The bees are flying around when suddenly an evil alien—disguised as a prominent C.E.O.—is kidnapped. Not by the bees, but by the beekeepers. “Bugonia” follows two cousins, Teddy and Don, on their mission to kidnap Michelle Fuller, the C.E.O. of a pharmaceutical company, after thinking she is from an alien species known as the Andromedans, sent to take over the world. The movie allows viewers to come to their own conclusions about whether or not it is true by using intense scenes and conversations. This movie has complexity within its dialogue, and it is key to listen.
“Bugonia” is an English remake of the 2003 Korean cult classic “Save the Green Planet!,” though “Bugonia” is said to be more intense and darker. This comes as no surprise because of the director of the movie, Yorgos Lanthimos. He is a Greek filmmaker and theater director, known for directing surreal, cynical comedies and psychological dramas such as “Bugonia.” Robbie Ryan, the director of photography for this movie, comments on why he returned to work on this film with Lanthimos in a conversation with the American Film Institute. He says, “Lanthimos likes to collect a troop of people that he trusts and the result is always an amazing film.” Moreover, Emma Stone, the main antagonist, has worked with Lanthimos in the past on movies such as “Poor Things” and “Kinds of Kindness.”
“Bugonia” made me feel afraid. There was a certain energy to the movie that was not pleasant. Some movies can be adrenaline-packed and have you on the edge of your seat, yet “Bugonia” made you feel like you were a part of the action and that it was super realistic. The cinematography is one reason for this, as it captures the essence of the claustrophobic basement, where most of the movie is centered, very well. In addition, the scenes of Teddy outside on his bicycle were shot in a way that made them very suspenseful. The movie’s characters were all dealing with their own issues that pushed them to act in certain ways. Moreover, the movie’s characters are what you can call morally gray, some more “gray” than others, such as Teddy and Fuller. Teddy’s character, played by Jesse Plemons, can be seen as unjust and crazy, yet has more depth than originally presented. In an article published by the Motion Pictures Association, Will Tracy, the film’s screenwriter, comments about Teddy’s character: “I don’t think the movie would make much sense or be of much interest if he were just crazy or wrong or stupid or immoral. Look, he does some bad things and he’s not right about everything, but he’s right about a lot, and identifies a lot of symptoms correctly.” This movie allows for interpretation in the beginning and the middle, especially with each of the characters.
Yorgos Lanthimos comments in an article by the Hollywood Reporter on how the themes shown in “Bugonia” are even more prevalent today. “Again, unfortunately, not much of the dystopia in this film is very fictional. A lot of it is very reflective of the real world…If anything, this film says this is happening now…[The movie] is more of a reflection of our times and hopefully it will trigger people to think about what’s happening today, all around the world.” This take on the film is interesting considering that it focuses on discovering an alien, which can be seen as very fictional. However, when seeing what an “alien” and a “crazy person” can symbolize—society and the issues of technology, climate change, war, etc.—it takes its place.
Jake Lebel ’27 states similar thoughts about “Bugonia” having ties with the real world: “I thought it was a profound social examination of how online echo chambers can be detrimental to society, but at the same time how large corporations are working against the interests of the American public. It also shows how these so-called crazy people are the only ones who get it as they are vindicated in the end.”
If you watch “Bugonia,” let it be for the characters that are deep with thought and motive, for the mystery of whether the kidnapped C.E.O. Fuller is actually an Andromedan alien sent to destroy the planet, and for the eeriness the movie produces as a whole. The word “bugonia” refers to an ancient Greek ritual that allows honeybees to rise from a sacrificed bull, and this movie does a great job of conveying this concept in a modern way.
The Raider Press 