Bugonia

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia follows a couple of conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons’ Teddy and Aidan Delbis’ Don) as they kidnap a high-powered executive (Emma Stone’s Michelle) and attempt to prove that she is, in fact, an alien. It’s a larger-than-life premise that is, for the most part, employed to entertaining and periodically spellbinding effect by Lanthimos, as the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by Will Tracy, delivers a perpetually stylish endeavor that benefits from its surprising narrative and first-class performances – with, in terms of the latter, both Stone and Plemons offering up riveting work that elevates the proceedings on a recurring basis. And while the 118 minute running time results in a small handful of lulls, Bugonia, which boasts a number of electrifying sequences and digressions, builds towards an impressively downbeat climax that confirms its place as a memorably offbeat (and completely satisfying) effort from a hit-and-miss moviemaker.

***1/2 out of ****