On Thursday evening, the Venice Film Festival was both mesmerized and enchanted by Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone's ominously humorous black comedy-thriller, "Bugonia." Following its global debut at the Italian water city's grand Sala Grande cinema, the film elicited an exuberant six-minute standing ovation. From their vantage point on the theater's balcony, Lanthimos, Stone, and their fellow stars Jessie Plemons and Aidan Delbis united in a heartfelt bow, their hands intertwined, as the prolonged applause gradually subsided.
Throughout the film's two-hour runtime, the Venice premiere audience oscillated between stunned silence and bursts of laughter, reacting to the narrative's "explosive violence, interspersed with slapstick physical comedy and satirical jabs," as summarized by The Hollywood Reporter's chief critic, who raved about the film's "bizarre twists" in a glowing review.
"Bugonia" stars Stone alongside Plemons, a frequent Lanthimos collaborator, and fellow cast members Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. A remake of Korean director Jang Joon Hwan's 2001 cult classic "Save the Green Planet!," Lanthimos's film revolves around two conspiracy-addled young men who abduct the influential CEO of a prominent company, convinced she is an alien bent on annihilating planet Earth.
Released by Focus Features, "Bugonia" is one of the most eagerly anticipated titles at the Lido, marking another collaboration between Lanthimos and his muse following their critically acclaimed "Poor Things." That film garnered four Oscars, including a second best actress honor for Stone and accolades for best achievement in production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling. Following their more recent partnership on "Kinds of Kindness," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews from critics and audiences and received limited box office success, "Bugonia" could herald a return to mainstream acclaim for the duo, thanks to its astonishing premise, powerful performances, and timely, skewering themes and flourishes.
The 82nd Venice Film Festival runs from August 27 to September 6.
