Blank Check with Griffin & David Critical Darlings: Bugonia And The (Oscar) Favourites with Marie Bardi-Salinas
Feb 5, 2026
Marie Bardi-Salinas, film writer and critic, joins to unpack Yorgos Lanthimos’s Begonia and Emma Stone’s continued awards magnetism. They trace Lanthimos’s Oscar trajectory, debate why Begonia read as Academy-friendly, and dissect the film’s political, class and visual themes. Conversation touches on Stone–Lanthimos collaborations, memorable scenes, and the movie’s surprising tonal turns.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Lanthimos's Academy-Friendly Formula
- Yorgos Lanthimos has become an Academy favorite by blending his odd aesthetic with period-piece trappings and strong actor showcases.
- That mix (ornate design + daring performances, especially with Emma Stone) lowers the bar for his later projects to get Oscar attention.
Premieres, Honey, And Pizza
- Richard Lawson saw Begonia at MoMA and praised the free honey at the premiere.
- Alison Willmore watched it at Nighthawk and ordered the colony collapse disorder pizza afterward.
Strangeness Meets Timely Satire
- Begonia mixes Lanthimos's strangeness with contemporary political satire, making it unexpectedly palatable to voters.
- The Academy seems to have embraced Lanthimos as its 'acceptable brand of cool' in recent years.