Recent theatrical viewings

[Rev. Powell]

BUGONIA (2025): With the aid of his dimwitted cousin, a troubled man (Jesse Plemmons) kidnaps a corporate executive (Emma Stone) who he is certain is an Andromedan alien in disguise. Yorgos Lanthimos creates Hitchcokian tension in the battle of wits between the obstinate Plemmons and the desperate Stone (who uses every rhetorical trick in the corporate book to try to talk her way out of captivity), breaks it up with black humor, and goes for broke in the apocalyptic finale. It's a remake of the wonderful Korean cult hit SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! that improves on the original; since almost no one saw GREEN PLANET, so the plot will be new to most folks. 5/5.

[M.10rda]

Very cool. I saw SAVE THE GREEN PLANET and yet the plot will remain new for me.  I dunno, I anticipated STGP eagerly and then didn't get it at all when I watched it. Emma Stone sounds like the missing magic ingredient...

[Dr. Whom]

BUGONIA

I'm in two minds about this. While it is excellent, and both Emma Stone and Jesse Plemmons are beyond outstanding, I do prefer Lanthimos when he is doing Lanthimos. As I understand it, this was a project he took over and it shows. It lacks the Lanthimos hallmarks such as weird dancing, sex and a general sense you have strayed into a parallel universe. I was expecting a Lanthimos movie, and was a bit disappointed.
That being said, it is excellent in its own right, although the twist, to quote Frank Kermode, feels more like a punchline than a payoff.

Also, the title refers to the ancient belief that you could produce bees out of the rotting carcass of a cow. Medieval magic texts have detailed (and very revolting) instructions how to go about this.

[Rev. Powell]

Lanthimos not being Lanthimos is the last trick he has left to surprise us.