Bugonia
Score: B
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis
Running time: 118 minutes
Rated R
Bugonia is the latest from the unique director Yorgos Lanthimos, a typically odd but very well made and engaging film that has one significant downfall (IMO). The main story is pretty straightforward in that cousins Teddy (Plemons) and Don (Delbis) kidnap a major pharmaceutical CEO, Michelle (Stone), as they are convinced that she is at the center of a dangerous conspiracy. The movie is intriguingly made to convey tones of both very ordinary life - bees buzzing around flowers, the cousins eating dinner together, CEO Michelle doing her daily routine - as well as foreboding, consequential stakes - a score that is mostly quiet but keeps breaking into bombastic orchestral swells, tense exchanges between captors and hostage, glimpses of the cousins' "research". This incongruity keeps you off balance, in a good way, and along with a snappy yet patient pacing, builds and maintains significant interest in the fictional mystery. The story also serves to highlight real-world themes in meaningful yet non-preachy ways. Teddy, a genius, has clearly been sucked into the online abyss of conspiracy theories and is utterly convinced of his conclusions. His intensity and rage is understandably heightened, though, by the very real health effects that Michelle's company had on his family, whose financial means are modest at best. Michelle, on the other hand, certainly does not deserve captivity, even though she pushes her company's research ruthlessly and cares little for others, including her own employees. So the film provides a nuanced perspective on modern issues, but this does not overwhelm the central dramatic elements, which are carried out marvelously by the actors, particularly Stone and Plemons. **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!** What brings the movie down quite a bit for me is the bizarre final act: Teddy was right about his bonkers theories and at the end, literally every human simply dies (Earth is otherwise untouched). This ending seems to spit on the great work that had been done all the way up to that point which is quite unfortunate. Still, I admire Lanthimos, the actors, and the whole crew's efforts.
***
The Running Man
Score: C
Directed by Edgar Wright
Starring Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, et al
Running time: 133 minutes
Rated R
The Running Man is a remake, likely chosen to resurface today due to obvious parallels with the modern world, but comes off as ham-handed and only mildly diverting. Glen Powell plays the lead, Ben, a regular joe in a world of poverty who seizes an opportunity to join a sadistic show in which he must survive a "game" of hide-and-seek for one month to win a jackpot. Powell is clearly Hollywood's main hope to be the next big movie star but the problem is - IMO - he just doesn't have the charismatic alchemy, the raw talent of previous stars (Cruise, Hanks, Clooney, Redford, etc.). Certainly he's better than duds like Tatum or Wahlberg, but not special enough to make a good film great, or a poor one watchable. Of course, he's not helped by a poor script here that makes it impossible for him to create a stable, consistent, believable (or even sympathetic) hero. The movie also falls prey to the danger of trying to create a fake media company and show. As the kids say, these attempts usually come off very cringe to me, ending any suspension of disbelief I might otherwise maintain. Sure, Brolin and Domingo are very talented and fun actors, but they are wasted here in their roles. All of the other supporting characters are lazily written (and sometimes poorly acted) tropes, particularly latecomer Amelia, shoehorned in right when the movie really comes off the tracks. Yes, there are plenty of legitimate societal problems that this movie tries to highlight, from some (keyword there!) elements of the media to economic inequality. But this movie does not artfully or effectively illustrate any of them. If you're really desperate for an action movie in the theater, sure, you'll find some scenes to enjoy here. Otherwise, skip.
***
My November movie theater trips were not as successful as I hoped, unfortunately, so the fall movie season has taken a downward turn after the awesome One Battle After Another and very solid Good Fortune. I have significantly divergent takeaways from these latest two films, though. I am determined to continue watching movies made by great directors like Lanthimos, as that's where the most interesting creativity is consistently coming from in Hollywood these days - even if they don't always fully live up to the high expectations. The Running Man, on the other hand, illustrates a continuing degradation of at least one track of the action/blockbuster genre - and a severe decline in my interest in even trying them. I still enjoy the action/adventure genre overall (and especially subgenres like superheroes), but I am getting pickier. I don't have a lot of movies I'm looking forward to in the next few months, as it seems kids' movies (well, Zootopia 2 might be worth trying) and the next Avatar sequel (I thought the original was overrated and haven't even seen the second) dominate for the next month or so. But in a pleasant surprise, my local theater is playing the new Knives Out movie next week (I thought this was only on Netflix, so what's going on?!?! Hopefully this is a growing trend!!!) - so I'll be back again soon.
* By Focus Features - http://www.impawards.com/2025/bugonia.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80887446
** By Paramount Pictures - https://www.movieposters.com/products/running-man-mpw-149867, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80330198
