What if we get screwed over by the apocalypse?

Audiovisual fiction seems to have detected that we are all somewhat lethargic, not to say anxious, about the drift of civilization in this part of the 21st century. That's why it's adding fuel to the fire with series and films about the end times from different apocalyptic perspectives, whether they pre either post (of Civil War to The Eternaut, ofA house full of dynamite to In the end, etc.). Perhaps a title that sowed a glimmer of hope in the face of such a withered mood would be welcome. Or, perhaps, one that was fed up with so much nihilism. Yorgos Lanthimos has pounced on this second option with BugoniaA dark, exaggerated, and grotesque joke about conspiracy theories that claim the world is going to hell.

Increasingly comfortable in his role as a quota of eccentricity tolerated and celebrated by both major studios and the general public, the Greek director already knows we'll laugh at all his jokes. One remake from a crazy Korean film from 2003 (Save the green planet! by Jang Joon-hwan), in VistaVision and square screen? Go for it! With renowned actors playing eccentric roles like Jesse Plemons or Emma Stone (fourth consecutive collaboration with Lanthimos: can we use the cliché now? fetish actress?) Come on! With some stretching directly gore that works as a malicious gag? We signed up for that!

As is typical in the films of the author of Poor creaturesAll of this tends toward allegory about the human condition, and all of it is also marked by a strong sense of misanthropy. As if it were a mocking and macabre response in the apocalyptic films of M. Night Shyamalan (Signals, The incident and There's a knock at the door), Bugonia It's defeatist, and at the same time, skeptical science fiction. Although its message might be a bit too heavy-handed for a two-hour film, the dialogue (the excellent Will Tracy) and the underlying tension of the supposed alien leader's abduction make watching this movie a truly perverse pleasure.