Bugonia - Down to Earth

 

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    Back in 2012, then-up-and-coming director Colin Trevorrow released his first feature film, Safety Not Guaranteed: a quirky sci-fi comedy about a guy who placed an ad in the paper seeking a companion for a time-travel adventure. It was a clever, witty, and incredibly human film that tackled some challenging concepts with a layer of good humor and just enough believability to keep you invested. It is a fun piece of work that I wouldn't mind revisiting. 

    I mention that film because today's subject, Bugonia, is incredibly similar. Like the other film mentioned above, Bugonia is a down-to-earth (no pun intended) story about a fantastical concept delivered in a tangible package. It's a film that not only makes you consider the possibility of something out of this world, but you almost want it to be true. The on-point commentary about humanity and the direction we're heading as a species, while not entirely pleasant, is a reasonable representation (albeit entirely symbolic) of what might happen to us. Not to mention a superb vehicle for the cast to deliver some of their best performances. 

    The story follows Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his disabled cousin Don (Aiden Delbis) and their plan to kidnap and interrogate the CEO of a massive corporation, Michelle (Emma Stone). For reasons I won't go into here due to spoilers, the two men are under the impression that Michelle is, in fact, an undercover Alien sent to Earth to sabotage and destroy the human race. In an effort to give humanity a fighting chance, Teddy and Don plan to abduct Michelle and demand that she grant them safe passage and an audience with her Alien overlord, so they may speak on behalf of humanity and make the Aliens leave. A good plan, if there's any validity to his claims, which, maybe? 

    The greatest strength of the film, aside from the well-delivered performances (more on that later), is the way the narrative successfully presents itself with just enough grit and tangibility to make you think that this seemingly insane person might actually be on to something, blurring the line between tin-foil-hat conspiracy theory and unexpected discovery. It's the perfect depiction and exploration of the kind of "insanity" that raises questions. 

    Here's a better example of what I mean. Suppose you're on the bus, and there's a homeless person in the back proclaiming that he needs two hundred Lincoln hats. Your immediate thought might be to brush this off as inexplicable nonsense, but another part of you is suddenly asking questions: what does he need two hundred Lincoln hats for, and why? As insane as it sounds, there is enough real-world stuff there to make you curious about the motivation behind the needs of this seemingly mentally ill person. Because sometimes, even the most outlandish of ideas can have some kind of practical application. Granted, nine times out of ten, it's just the rantings of a lunatic, but there's always that one time when it just might be something more. 

    Bugonia is, in essence, the movie version of that ranting homeless person: as outlandish as the claims made therein are, it is presented with enough conviction and verisimilitude to make you curious. Even when things take a turn for the worse, as they do in the film, you still find yourself wondering if there's still any possible truth to the reasons behind it all; a truly psychologically thrilling experience in every way. 

    The cast is remarkable all across the board. Emma Stone has become one of those actors who can command the room with her presence, putting her on par with the likes of Meryl Streep. While Jesse Plemons delivers his usual creepy factor to a "T," the MVP award goes to Aiden Delbis as the best supporting character of the film, delivering the most sympathetic character of the story. This is his first feature film role, and I hope he gets many more in the future. 

    Bugonia is not a film for everyone, nor is it likely to warrant multiple views. While the performances, writing, cinematography, music, and overall themes are worth exploring and appreciating, the films' more graphic moments and unsettling undertones might be a dealbreaker for some audiences. Not to mention the occasional scene that repeats itself too much or drags on for a bit longer than necessary. But those aspects of the film do not permeate much of the runtime and are merely roadblocks toward a worthy conclusion. 

    Worth checking out at least once. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.