It all starts with something magnificent.

Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone, Vanessa Eng, Marc T. Lewis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"... this is really difficult for me as well. You killed my family, you killed my community, you killed my co-workers and you killed the bees. So given that, you should really appreciate how professional I'm being by not gutting you." - Teddy

Why watch this? What a thought-inducing, weirdly-wonderful film!

Plot Summary: A conspiracy-obsessed man and his mentally-challenged cousin kidnap a high-powered pharmaceutical CEO, convinced she is an alien bent on destroying the Earth. Held captive in their basement, the CEO must navigate a tense psychological battle as her captor tries to force a confession and save humanity.

Dad's Preview: Just when I start thinking (very stupidly) that new films are just not cuttin' it, this gem explodes from the collective brain trust of Lanthimos and Stone. A remake of the Korean film Save the Green Planet! (2003), Bugonia is an education on several fronts. Much of the dialogue reinforces that impossibility of arguing with a conspiracy theorists, a stress many of us feel today. As the captors interrogate Michelle, the tense, claustrophobic setting is smothering. Then, in a wink, the ending occurs and you have to discard almost everything into a nearby waste basket. I will admit I am warming to the hard-working Jesse Plemons, as his acting career matures. As Teddy Gatz, he's channeling Travis Bickle, and his performance is unforgettable. This will become a sci-fi classic.

Element Pictures, Square Peg, CJ ENM, Pith,
Fruit Tee Enterprises; Focus Features