Ironic humor buoys Lanthimos’ sly, pointed Bugonia
Teddy is convinced he’s right. There’s no question in his mind there’s a race of aliens embedded on our planet, intent on wiping out humanity. The Andromedans aren’t overt in executing their plan; they’re taking a subtle approach which is why only Teddy and few others are aware of what’s going on. Granted, his dim cousin Don agrees with him, but it should be noted, with all due respect, he makes fence posts seem bright. Of course, with this knowledge, Teddy must take action, so he’s focused on the alien’s leader, Michelle. Yes, she’s convinced the world she’s the CEO of a groundbreaking pharmaceutical company but that’s obviously a ruse. Teddy knows the truth. The various websites and chat boards he visits regularly have supported this notion and they’re never wrong.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia takes an unflinching look at the disinformation world we live in. Putting conspiracy theories as well as the isolating effects of the internet age under the microscope, his film is a bitter, and ultimately ironic, examination of how the vulnerable fall under the sway of a system that provides a false sense of acceptance. And while this movie is heavy lifting, it’s not without its humor, albeit, of the blackest sort. The script by Will Tracy and Jang Joon-hwan contains more than a few barbs aimed at a variety of targets, the vapidity of corporate culture, the dangers of group think and the negligence of health care among them. And while none of these subjects are humorous in nature, their absurdity is ripe for parody, and Lanthimos is more than happy to slyly lampoon them.
Teddy (Jesse Plemmons) must be given credit for not being one of those all-talk-and-no-action kind of guys. He means business and proves it by, with the help of Don (Aiden Delbis), kidnapping Michelle (Emma Stone). His intent is not to harm her but convince her to take him to the leader of the Andromedans so that he may broker a peace treaty between the two races. Of course, he shaves Michelle’s head immediately, as its common knowledge her race communicates through their hair, and he can’t risk her sending out an SOS.
The cat-and-mouse game that ensues between these two is just one of the many engrossing aspects of the film. First attempting to reason with her abductor, then employing a sense of logic, Michelle soon realizes there’s no reaching Teddy through these means. Playing along with his delusion is the only way to reach him, something the domineering woman has trouble adjusting to.
To reveal more about their dynamic or the various other things that have contributed to Teddy’s paranoia would be a disservice. As elements from his past are revealed, we come to sympathize with him and understand how he came to be so vulnerable to the misinformation he takes as gospel and why he is so desperate to embrace it. Some of the factors that have led to his sense of isolation have been foisted upon him, others he’s fostered himself. That he would be so susceptible to them is tragic. That his situation is more common than we realize, is terrifying.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more committed actress than Stone. She brings a ferocity to the role that’s initially off-putting yet the glint in her eye suggests something else lies beneath her icy demeanor. No stranger to nailing big moments, it’s the subtle touches the actress employs that distinguish and complete her performances. And though she is a force to be reckoned with, this is Plemmons’ film. Manic and on edge throughout, the actor’s ability to channel Teddy’s pain results in a moving portrait of a man held at bay by mental illness. The result is a plea for greater awareness and compassion for those similarly afflicted.
Before it reaches its strange, surprising conclusion, Bugonia jerks the viewer hither and yon, taking us down various rabbit holes that enlighten Teddy’s plight and condition, all the while planting the seeds for its memorable denouement. The ending is the least ambiguous of all of Lanthimos’ films, suggesting the filmmaker wants no confusion where the movie’s intent is concerned. Grotesque yet funny, it’s a pointed, dour commentary for our times, an indictment of our passive nature in the face of technology, as well as our indifference to those around us. Unfortunately, Bugonia is a cautionary tale that’s come too late. No matter. I doubt we would have heeded its message had it arrived in time. In Theaters.
Farrell salvages flawed Player
There’s a parable at the center of Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player, a curiously paced character study that nearly gets lost on its way to delivering its message. A hypnotic performance from Colin Farrell is the only thing that keeps us hooked during the second act, the actor pulling out all the stops in his portrayal of a man in the throes of addiction. The sympathy he elicits from the audience is the key to holding this whole thing together, as the script by Rowan Joffe, based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne, labors at times under the weight of its intentions. That its conclusion proves genuinely poignant helps us to forgive some of these sins.
Lord Doyle (Farrell) is hanging by a thread. The inveterate gambler has exhausted his credit at nearly every casino in Macau and run up a hotel bill of $352,000 Hong Kong dollars. He tells himself that he’s a “high roller on a slippery slope,” half of that statement being true. Down to his last few bucks, he wanders into the one gambling establishment he’s somehow overlooked. He finds the nearest table containing baccarat, a game he tells us that requires no skill and can turn one’s fortunes around in an instant. Most important, he meets Dao Ming (Fala Chen), whose job is to make all players feel as if they’re winners and extend them enough credit so they can realize this.
Doyle burns through his chips, increasing his debt and fanning his desperation. Adding to his troubles is the presence of Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton), a dowdy, awkward woman who’s the antithesis of a private eye yet turns out to be just that. Dispatched from a financial firm in London, she’s intent on recovering nearly a million pounds sterling Doyle’s absconded with. Apparently, she’s unfamiliar with the saying about getting blood from a stone.
While the first act shows us Doyle’s descent to the bottom, how our anti-hero attempts to settle his numerous financial and moral debts makes up the rest of the film. His dilemma becomes increasingly outlandish as a supernatural element is introduced that ultimately reveals Berger and Joffe’s intent. This shift in tone is awkwardly done, as a sort of one-step-forward-two-steps-back approach is taken, a hesitancy to venture down this narrative road, obvious. As a result, the story nearly loses its way, the pacing slowing to a crawl, the filmmakers’ uncertainty daring us to look away.
However, once the new ground rules are established, the film finds its footing, gradually regaining a sense of momentum that carries us to a surprising and moving conclusion. Much is not as it seems, Berger capturing the bright, garish Macau as a deceptive playland, luring people in with its bright lights and promise of riches, its sordid side ultimately revealed to all. The secrets Dao Ming hold are also equally misleading, boding well when finally revealed, yet also suggesting a reckoning that’s inescapable. That Doyle is incapable of hiding his desperation and intent, dooms him to be a victim.
Eventually, the biblical verse, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” comes into play, as Doyle must come to terms with his destiny, one that doesn’t contain all he expected. It’s to Berger, Joffe and Farrell’s credit that the lesson never comes off as heavy-handed, their intent emerging organically as the story progresses. They understand that less is always more when driving home a point. That being said, their lack of expediency in delivering it nearly negates their efforts. Still, Player ultimately pays off, its dividends far outweighing its faults. Streaming on Netflix.
This article appears in October 30-November 5, 2025.
