The Big Picture Best Picture Power Rankings, ‘Bugonia,’ and the New Paranoid Thriller, With Yorgos Lanthimos!
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Oct 31, 2025 This week, acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos dives into his new film, 'Bugonia,' featuring performances by Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. He discusses the unique challenges of shooting in VistaVision and how it influences storytelling. The conversation also highlights the film’s critique of performative corporate language and its connections to contemporary anxieties. Lanthimos reflects on the complexities of communication in today's world and shares insights about casting neurodivergent talent, enriching the film's narrative.
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Grounded Paranoid Thriller
- Begonia reimagines Lanthimos's style as a grounded paranoid thriller blending domestic realism with genre stakes.
- The film uses everyday workplaces and suburban settings to heighten its dread and thematic resonance.
Radicalization As Tragic Process
- Teddy represents how personal trauma plus online rabbit holes radicalize individuals toward violence.
- The film maps modern radicalization onto a tragic, sincere portrayal rather than a cartoon villain.
Talk Without Action Fuels Despair
- Corporate speak and performative dialogue are shown as actions that numb victims and thwart real accountability.
- Will Tracy framed this as talking becoming the point while action never follows, fueling despair.
