Spoiler Warning
People carry emptiness by living in a society that moves past pain in favor of commercial success. “Bugonia” exceptionally unravels the weird and crushing rabbit hole of the subjugated, rural laborer turned conspiracy analyst. Both main characters — Teddy, played by Jesse Plemons, and gullible cousin Don, played by Aidon Delbis — share the possibility of salvation from corporate oppression.
Together, they take on the mission to pursue the truth bequeathed by Teddy’s mother, Sandy, played by Alicia Silverstone. It takes them down a path that leads to vengeance against a much more powerful entity than enterprises: The Andromedon race, an alien species hidden within the human population, sabotaging the industrial world through techno enslavement. They must be captured before the termination of the race ensues at the lunar eclipse, only days from the introduction scene.
The movie opens with a shot of Teddy’s bee farm, as he explains away his conspiracy to his cousin using the concept of Colony Collapse Disorder. Much like their community and family, the bees are having their neurons disrupted unnaturally from chemicals produced by Auxolith — a company led by a supposed alien and CEO Michelle Fuller, played by Emma Stone. There is a recurrent socioeconomic commentary created by the visual contrast of their worlds that is laid on quite thickly. In the montage leading up to their contact with Fuller, the CEO’s bleak, robotic routine is juxtaposed by the sweaty, earthy tones of Teddy and Don’s perspective. This ramps up the addictive, rallying narratives that play out in the upcoming sarcastic, comedic dialogue. The ‘elaborate’ kidnapping abruptly occurs and throws the audience into the hilarious synergy created by the actors’ spiteful chemistry. The quiet stillness of this scene intensifies their meeting and pulls in the watcher as they decide who to root for. So begins the operation of human liberation through alien removal.
Transitions in this film are met with sounds of giant horns as well as big cinematic orchestral excerpts, which are arbitrarily cut into scenes or played over undramatic moments. It is a motif throughout this story to carry large secrets or emotions while moving seamlessly through life. Some such scenes were the stunning black and white flashbacks used to detail the story of Teddy’s comatose mother, explaining her connection to Auxolith. These scenes feel whimsical but out of place as audiences enter Teddy’s mind, which seemingly always holds onto his mother. She is sparsely visualized onscreen, floating almost like she’s about to ascend to the heavens.
The intensity of the music is no match for the third act, while aiding in the rapid and unexpected pacing, the plot never stops for a beat. Teddy and Don are in a gaslighting war with Fuller that has led to confusion among the audience. While admitting she is an alien may be to please her kidnappers in a desperate attempt to outsmart them, Teddy has yet to relinquish his position, a decision that continues to draw in skepticism.
When met with absurdity, society is caught in an unmoving stance, like fight or flight is too extreme to consider. While completely enveloped in this film, the audience is forced to watch what it is like for those extremes to play out. “Bugonia” does a phenomenal job by balancing a multitude of ideas and making it just weird and humorous enough for it to be worth it. Although at times it panders a little too hard into what the audience wants, it is unexpected how what is wanted may truly manifest. That is, until it is chased through sacrificing everything — even sanity and life on earth.
