Fantastic Fest’s secret screenings are one of the most exciting parts of the festival. The second secret screening this year was a huge surprise, the latest Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) film, Bugonia. Will Tracy (The Menu, Succession) adapted the screenplay after the 2003 Korean film, Save the Green Planet. Bugonia follows two cousins, Teddy and Don, as they kidnap a powerful CEO they believe is part of an alien race there to destroy Earth. Is she really from another planet? Or have the conspiracy theories taken over the cousins’ brains?

Bugonia feels like a return to form for Lanthimos, telling an understated, intimate tale dripping with dark humor and dread. As the audience meets the three core characters, doubt is planted between the laughs. Teddy is the leader and the man with the plan, having done all the research on the aliens and being prepared for any eventuality. His younger cousin, Don, seems to mostly just be there to support Teddy, doing what he’s told even if it seems he doesn’t fully believe. Then there is the CEO, Michelle, who remains calm, cool, and in-control even after being kidnapped by Teddy and Don. The ensuing investigation and interrogations lead to some tense, laugh-out-loud moments as Teddy and Michelle engage in a mental power struggle. What Lanthimos and Tracy excel at with Bugonia is the uncertainty. Teddy is adamant Michelle is an alien, while she firmly states she’s human. There is a constant back and forth, keeping the audience guessing at the truth. With each new clue, more doubt is cast. Every time the evidence seems to point one way, some new detail will turn everything upside down. Audiences will be at the edge of their seat, laughing at the absurdity, right until the shocking final reveal.

Despite being based on a film that’s over twenty years old, Bugonia manages to incorporate themes still relevant today. Right away, audiences will pick up on the environmentalist and anti-capitalist message. The film opens by discussing things like the vanishing bees and corporations caring more about profit than people or the environment. It forces the audience to question what the real threat to our planet is and what can be done to save it. This also leads to the idea of conspiracy theories. Teddy is clearly very interested in conspiracy theories, which led him to his belief in alien invaders and his conviction that Michelle is one of them. Everyone has a conspiracy theory or two they believe in. This film pokes fun at this, while also showing just how dangerous these beliefs can really be. Finally, Bugonia addresses various extremist groups and how certain susceptible people are easily drawn into these groups. The more we learn about Teddy, the more it becomes clear he has a heartbreaking past. His fractured mind makes him an easy target for all manner of extreme groups, which he even jokes that he’s been part of almost every group you could think of. Don similarly is an easy target, not thinking for himself and just going along with whatever Teddy says because he loves him. Teddy represents the straight white men of the world seeking validation and power from fringe groups, rather than seeking therapy, and just how dangerous this can be.

All three leads in Bugonia set fire to the screen. Jesse Plemons (Game Night, Kinds of Kindness) stars as Teddy. What makes Plemons so phenomenal in this role is how hard the character tries to maintain his calm and control. He’s in a mental battle with what he believes is an alien, and throughout the film the character is attempting to convey an outward appearance of power. Yet the moments when Plemons really shines is when the audience sees the mask slip, revealing all the pain and rage Teddy is holding inside. Emma Stone (Poor Things, Easy A) is also fantastic as Michelle. Unlike Teddy, the poise and power Michelle exudes is inside and out. Stone makes it clear, even after being shaved and chained in a basement, that Michelle is always in control of her situation. Plemons and Stone are fantastic together, igniting the screen with their constant power struggle that’s as hilarious as it is suspenseful. Aidan Delbis is also great in his debut as Don. Don is a follower, mostly doing whatever Teddy says with only minor pushback. Delbis manages to hold his own alongside Plemons and Stone, adding a sincerity and kindness to the otherwise bleak film.

Because Bugonia is more akin to Lanthimos’s earlier films, most of the sights and sounds are understated. Despite this, they still pack a punch. Right away there is a clear divide between Teddy and Don compared to Michelle. They are two dirty, blue collar men who do manual labor and live in a rather rundown house. Michelle, on the other hand, is flawless at all times with perfect hair, face, and clothes living in an extravagant, ultra modern mansion. It highlights just how different these people are from one another, even before Teddy accuses Michelle of being an alien. From there, most of the film takes place in Teddy’s basement. To add visual interest, the men shave Michelle’s head and coat her skin with white cream, giving her a rather alien appearance. The film incorporates striking, unique imagery that hints to Teddy’s state of mind. As the climax approaches, audiences will be surprised by gruesome, realistic practical effects and stunning production design.

Bugonia is a brilliant, satirical sci-fi thriller placing the darkest parts of humanity under a microscope. Lanthimos perfectly brings to life Tracy’s screenplay, highlighting numerous socio-political issues in a way that still delivers laughs. It makes it almost impossible to determine what’s truth and what’s a lie until the final moment of the film. Plemons, Stone, and Delbis all deliver outstanding performances audiences won’t soon forget. This might be a career high for Lanthimos and Plemons. You can experience the laugh-out-loud insanity of Bugonia in select theaters on October 24th, then everywhere beginning October 31st.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10