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Credit: Focus Features
As someone who has seen almost all of Yorgos Lanthimos’s movies, I have come to expect and appreciate his special brand of weirdness. It’s a strangeness that I find charming and exciting. Therefore, I was extremely excited to get to see his latest film, Bugonia, early at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival. It met and exceeded my expectations.
I think it may be one of my favorite Lanthimos movies and one of his best. I know some may find that statement controversial, but I really enjoyed how it was more grounded (somewhat) in reality than many of his previous films. It was also less ambiguous than some of my other favorites from the director. I also really enjoy a good movie where the two leads are equally terrible.
Warning: Bugonia spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
Credit: Focus Features
I Thought Of Bugonia As A Villain Vs. Villain Story
Some may classify the leads of Bugonia as antiheroes, and they may have some of the same characteristics as iconic antiheroes, but I see Michelle (Emma Stone) and Teddy (Jesse Plemons) as standard villains. They may not necessarily be evil, but their deeds and intentions are not really rooted in goodness.
Michelle runs a corporation that has benefited from the deaths of others. She barely shows remorse for her pursuit of wealth and for who and what she has hurt because of her company. Teddy thinks he’s doing good by trying to expose Michelle and save the planet. However, he has killed innocent people and seems to be on a vengeance quest. These are not good people.
Now, I do think they possess all the traits that make villains fascinating, but also some that make them heroic. They’re likable at times, break your heart, and you understand both of their motives. Michelle and Teddy believe they’re the heroes of this story; they’re bad guys with a point. I found them extremely intriguing because, based on my definition of a villain, they’re both incredible ones for how believable they feel. They’re the type of villains that leave an impression and are realistic.
Michelle and Teddy could easily be people I meet one day, and that makes them scary as heck. The best villains are ones grounded in reality; you can see how life creates them. They represent the villains of everyday life.
Credit: Focus Features
However, I Could Sympathize With Both Characters At Times
Michelle is kidnapped and held captive by a madman who thinks she’s an alien. Whether she is or isn’t doesn’t matter because Teddy is still a threat to her survival either way. In general, as a woman, it’s also even scarier to be held captive by two men. There is the threat of death and other torture. You can’t help but sympathize and fear for Michelle.
There is a reason for Teddy’s madness. He has been traumatized by the situation, and his mother’s own misguided decisions and beliefs. He then gets consumed by the world of conspiracy theorists. He’s impressionable, vulnerable, and in pain. Though you may not agree with the type of people Teddy represents, it’s easy to feel bad for him. He was lost and went down the wrong path.
I think the best villains are the ones that are undeniably human. You could be one bad day away from becoming a Teddy, or if you grew up with a little more privilege, you could have become a Michelle. It’s easy to see yourself in them at times. If you love your parents, you can understand how Teddy could go this far to help or get revenge for his mother. If you were once a dreamer who thought you were going to save the world but ended up hurting it, then you understand Michelle.
You can be villains and still be very sympathetic.
Credit: Focus Features
Michelle And Teddy Are Both Complex And Dark, And That Really Ties Into One Of Bugonia’s Main Topics
Once again, you understand both of their motivations. They can be villains and still have reasonable motives. I think Michelle and Teddy are trying to save the world, but doing it in terrible ways. They are also using and sacrificing others in the pursuit of the greater good. The greater good in question may look different to each, but both are grounded in the idea that the world needs saving.
Bugonia has a very bleak and cynical take on life and the world. In short, the movie thinks Earth and the world are doomed. Neither Michelle nor Teddy can save it. No one can save it, despite their best intentions. Their attempts will just continue to cause more problems. Bugonia is almost the opposite of a movie about hope. It’s about accepting that the world cannot be saved. It’s not necessarily freeing, but an interesting take.
Credit: Focus Features
I Didn’t Know Who To Root For Or Against
I found myself saying at times that Michelle has to be taken down, then I would change to seeing Teddy as the bigger problem. I rooted for and against each throughout Bugonia. However, eventually, I accepted that this isn’t a movie where we should root against or for either of them. They’re not people to root for, and rooting against them seems pointless. It’s just a take-the-journey type of film.
Once I accepted that they’re not characters worthy of supporting, it made the Bugonia experience even more entertaining. I could just watch their antics with amusement.
Credit: Focus Features
Bugonia Really Made Me Think About The Concept Of The Monsters Made, Not Born
I don’t think Teddy or Michelle are inherently evil or villains. I think life and society turned them that way. I have seen a couple of the highly anticipated upcoming movies of 2025 so far, and that seems to be a running theme: the world turning people into monsters. Michelle became one because of her corporate greed and maybe losing sight of her initial goals and mission.
Teddy has been wronged by Michelle’s company. He’s also just a worker bee, so he’s always going to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Michelle and Teddy are monsters because the world turns them into monsters. They are both doomed from the start, especially Teddy with his upbringing and life.
Bugonia is a really fascinating character study along with having one crazy plot. It’s definitely worth seeing, even if to see Emma Stone rock a great shaved head. I may also need to watch Save the Green Planet! to compare.
Bugonia is playing nationwide.
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