by Josh Sewell
Bugonia
(Rated R for bloody violent content including a suicide, grisly images and language. Opens in theaters on October 31.)
The premise: Conspiracy-obsessed Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap high-profile CEO Michelle (Emma Stone), convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying Earth.
The verdict: To call divisive filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos an acquired taste is an understatement. His twisted morality tales are darkly hilarious and deeply unsettling – usually at the same time. Even his admirers tend to like some of his films more than others, often dividing into camps of Dogtooth/The Killing of a Sacred Deer vs. The Favourite/Poor Things.
I’m in the second category, which means his last flick Kinds of Kindness left me cold. I’m happy to report Lanthimos has rebounded with Bugonia, a paranoid comedic thriller featuring some of the year’s best performances. But this one will also prove polarizing if the reactions I heard in my screening are any indication.
Without getting into specifics – most of the twisted fun comes from watching the craziness unfold – Plemons continues to prove he’s one of our finest actors. Teddy is a desperate, wounded man who has turned to politics, religion, etc. for solutions to his problems, only to find them all lacking. Now he has disappeared down a seemingly ridiculous internet rabbit hole and has taken his neurodivergent cousin (Delbis, in a stunning debut performance) with him, possibly against his will.
Stone, in her fourth feature-length collaboration with Lanthimos, is also at the top of her game. Her character is forced to go from shallow, jargon-speaking executive to brilliant improv actress who must buy into Teddy’s delusion if she’s going to have any chance of escaping her bizarre prison.
Will Tracy’s screenplay (an adaptation of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!) takes the subject matter completely seriously because its characters do, allowing us to see the humanity behind Teddy, Don and Michelle, despite their atrocious behavior and crazy beliefs. However, he and Lanthimos also inject the proceedings with some truly hilarious dark comedy.
Factor in Jerskin Fendrix’s incredible score and a bonkers third act, and you get one of the year’s most unique viewing experiences. Bugonia most certainly isn’t for everyone, but I loved it.
Anniversary
(Rated R for language throughout, some violent content, drug use and sexual references. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: In this thriller, a close-knit family is caught up in a controversial political movement called “The Change.” Ellen and Paul Taylor (Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler) experience the destruction of their lives over the course of several years after Ellen’s former student Liz (Phoebe Dynevor) starts dating their son (Dylan O’Brien). As Liz works her way into the family, tensions rise and loyalties are tested.
The verdict: It’s a shame this tense drama, written by Lori Rosene-Gambino and directed by Jan Komasa, squanders so many great actors in a tepid story that lacks the courage of its convictions. A story about America’s slide into fascism should be terrifying (especially considering the onslaught of current headlines) but the film keeps the political beliefs of “The Change” frustratingly vague.
On one hand, I get it: Rosene-Gambino and Komasa probably didn’t want to automatically alienate half of American moviegoers by picking a side. But straddling the fence is both cowardly and narratively confusing.
If this revolutionary new movement is powerful enough to sway people from all over the political spectrum, thus dividing families and causing outspoken activists to go underground for their own safety, it would be nice to hear something about it besides how popular it is. Despite convincing performances from Lane, Chandler, O’Brien, Zoey Deutch and Mckenna Grace, “The Change” and its supposedly magnetic spokesperson (Dynevor, wasted as a blank slate instead of an actual character) never feel real enough to pose a threat.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for bloody violent content including a suicide, grisly images and language. Opens in theaters on October 31.)
The premise: Conspiracy-obsessed Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap high-profile CEO Michelle (Emma Stone), convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying Earth.
The verdict: To call divisive filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos an acquired taste is an understatement. His twisted morality tales are darkly hilarious and deeply unsettling – usually at the same time. Even his admirers tend to like some of his films more than others, often dividing into camps of Dogtooth/The Killing of a Sacred Deer vs. The Favourite/Poor Things.
I’m in the second category, which means his last flick Kinds of Kindness left me cold. I’m happy to report Lanthimos has rebounded with Bugonia, a paranoid comedic thriller featuring some of the year’s best performances. But this one will also prove polarizing if the reactions I heard in my screening are any indication.
Without getting into specifics – most of the twisted fun comes from watching the craziness unfold – Plemons continues to prove he’s one of our finest actors. Teddy is a desperate, wounded man who has turned to politics, religion, etc. for solutions to his problems, only to find them all lacking. Now he has disappeared down a seemingly ridiculous internet rabbit hole and has taken his neurodivergent cousin (Delbis, in a stunning debut performance) with him, possibly against his will.
Stone, in her fourth feature-length collaboration with Lanthimos, is also at the top of her game. Her character is forced to go from shallow, jargon-speaking executive to brilliant improv actress who must buy into Teddy’s delusion if she’s going to have any chance of escaping her bizarre prison.
Will Tracy’s screenplay (an adaptation of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!) takes the subject matter completely seriously because its characters do, allowing us to see the humanity behind Teddy, Don and Michelle, despite their atrocious behavior and crazy beliefs. However, he and Lanthimos also inject the proceedings with some truly hilarious dark comedy.
Factor in Jerskin Fendrix’s incredible score and a bonkers third act, and you get one of the year’s most unique viewing experiences. Bugonia most certainly isn’t for everyone, but I loved it.
Grade: A-
It Was Just an Accident
(Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, violence, strong language and smoking. Opens in select theaters on October 31.)
The premise: Ordinary mechanic Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is suddenly reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he has a chance encounter with Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), a man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. He gathers several former prisoners in hopes of confirming Eghbal’s identity, but as the bickering group travels around Tehran with their drugged captive, they must decide whether to pursue revenge or forgiveness.
The verdict: Writer-director Jafar Panahi’s latest is almost certain to be an Oscar contender in a few months, and for good reason. A deeply affecting mixture of political thriller, dark comedy and morality tale, it features a compelling premise, deftly executed by an outstanding cast and crew – all of whom made the film in secret under Iran’s oppressive regime.
Most of the film’s running time is devoted to debates among the characters about philosophical implications of their quest, which leads to one of the year’s most gripping finales. The last scene is open to interpretation, but the monologue preceding it had me holding my breath.
Grade: A
(Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, violence, strong language and smoking. Opens in select theaters on October 31.)
The premise: Ordinary mechanic Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is suddenly reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he has a chance encounter with Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), a man he strongly suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. He gathers several former prisoners in hopes of confirming Eghbal’s identity, but as the bickering group travels around Tehran with their drugged captive, they must decide whether to pursue revenge or forgiveness.
The verdict: Writer-director Jafar Panahi’s latest is almost certain to be an Oscar contender in a few months, and for good reason. A deeply affecting mixture of political thriller, dark comedy and morality tale, it features a compelling premise, deftly executed by an outstanding cast and crew – all of whom made the film in secret under Iran’s oppressive regime.
Most of the film’s running time is devoted to debates among the characters about philosophical implications of their quest, which leads to one of the year’s most gripping finales. The last scene is open to interpretation, but the monologue preceding it had me holding my breath.
Grade: A
(Rated R for language throughout, some violent content, drug use and sexual references. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: In this thriller, a close-knit family is caught up in a controversial political movement called “The Change.” Ellen and Paul Taylor (Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler) experience the destruction of their lives over the course of several years after Ellen’s former student Liz (Phoebe Dynevor) starts dating their son (Dylan O’Brien). As Liz works her way into the family, tensions rise and loyalties are tested.
The verdict: It’s a shame this tense drama, written by Lori Rosene-Gambino and directed by Jan Komasa, squanders so many great actors in a tepid story that lacks the courage of its convictions. A story about America’s slide into fascism should be terrifying (especially considering the onslaught of current headlines) but the film keeps the political beliefs of “The Change” frustratingly vague.
On one hand, I get it: Rosene-Gambino and Komasa probably didn’t want to automatically alienate half of American moviegoers by picking a side. But straddling the fence is both cowardly and narratively confusing.
If this revolutionary new movement is powerful enough to sway people from all over the political spectrum, thus dividing families and causing outspoken activists to go underground for their own safety, it would be nice to hear something about it besides how popular it is. Despite convincing performances from Lane, Chandler, O’Brien, Zoey Deutch and Mckenna Grace, “The Change” and its supposedly magnetic spokesperson (Dynevor, wasted as a blank slate instead of an actual character) never feel real enough to pose a threat.
Grade: C+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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