Venice Film Festival, Film Review: Bugonia with Emma Stone

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Bugonia Review: A Metaphor of Intense Social Satire

Bugonia exemplifies Lanthimos's style—contradictory and destabilizing. It doesn't allow the viewer to intuit its purpose, yet it expresses a lucid critique through sharp satire. The film employs the theme of bee population collapse to create a metaphor that defines the fragility of human life, without casting accusations or forcing viewers to take sides with opposing viewpoints. Its objective is likely to express the final critique, visually manifested in the concluding scene.

When two young conspiracy theorists kidnap a multinational corporation manager, blaming her for causing the disappearance of bees—but in reality condemning her for causing the mother's illness—Lanthimos seems to mock conspiracy theories with the alleged alien origin of the manager. The plot appears to be heading in one direction; the viewer is aware of the absurdity, yet the narrative suggests that in a complex world, anything can become possible, even the absurd theory of the two conspiracists. This is acute social satire, entertaining, addressing current themes with lightness, supported by Emma Stone's excellent performance. In the final scene, the direction seems to express a consideration, visually powerful, that perhaps constitutes the true essence of its critique.

The image I've generated captures a moment from "Bugonia," showcasing Emma Stone's character in Lanthimos's distinctively unsettling visual style.