Film Review: Alien kidnap film bonkers, but brilliant
I have loved his unique and eccentric films since 2011’s , but I felt disappointed by 2024’s .
Although it contained the usual obscure Lanthimos elements, it struck me as nihilistic compared to his previous films, which, despite their peculiarity, still possess some sense of humanity.
I am pleased to say that the five-time Oscar nominee has returned to form with . It is just as strange as his earlier films, but this time, it lacks any hints of nihilism.
This film marks the director’s fifth collaboration with the Irish production company Element Pictures, and his fourth time working with Emma Stone, who won an Oscar for Lanthimos’s and was nominated for his .
In , Jesse Plemmons plays a beekeeper named Teddy who lives in a ramshackle but much-loved house with his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis).
Teddy’s mother has been in an induced coma for many years, and Don is the only family member he has left.
When he isn’t tending to his bees, Teddy works for a parcel-sorting company owned by the icy pharmaceutical mogul Michelle (Emma Stone). At 45, she is one of the most prominent figures in the pharmaceuticals industry, admired and feared in equal measure.
She has graced the covers of and , met presidents and geniuses, and she is acutely aware of her success.
There is no hint of humility in Michelle’s world. There’s a reason she has reached the pinnacle of her career at such a young age, particularly in a male-dominated industry.
Teddy is a conspiracy theorist, but not just any casual conspiracy enthusiast who lurks on social media and shares random ideas under a pseudonym. He is a dedicated, diehard conspiracy theorist who believes so intensely in his theories that he is willing to risk everything to prove their validity.
Michelle doesn’t know it yet, but she is at the centre of Teddy’s conspiracy. He believes wholeheartedly that she is an alien from an alien race known as the Andromedans.
He is convinced that the Andromedans have inserted themselves into positions of power worldwide, and he has conducted extensive research to support his claims.
Teddy has convinced Don that everything he believes is accurate, and he has a plan to show the rest of the world. He is going to kidnap Michelle and force her to admit the truth.
Don is easily influenced, he has some type of intellectual disability, which makes it difficult for him to challenge Teddy. As a result, he follows everything Teddy says.
Teddy isn’t leading him astray out of malice or taking advantage of his condition. He genuinely believes that by taking Michelle, he will save the world and make it a safer place for Don.
Teddy had planned every inch of the mission to capture Michelle, but he didn’t realise that she was skilled in martial arts. Kidnapping her is not as easy as he thinks, but he and Don finally manage to get her into the back of a car and drive away with her back to their house.
Teddy is convinced that Andromedans communicate with their planet through their hair, so his first act is to shave Michelle’s head in a scene where Stone’s actual hair is removed.
He also believes that her species can give off vibes through their skin, so he lathers her head to foot in thick cream.
It is the first act of defence against Michelle before he turns to more extreme measures.
After Michelle’s initial shock, she begins to try various tactics to persuade Teddy and Don to release her. She negotiates with them, alternating between playing good cop and bad cop. She reminds them of her importance to the company and how many police will be searching for her.
She is desperate to be free, but isn’t willing to play all of her hands until the time is right. It proves challenging to negotiate with conspiracy theorists, especially one who believes she is an alien. Will she ever escape?
Stone, as always, commits wholeheartedly to her performance, but it is Plemmons who really shines. He elicits sympathy despite being a kidnapper, and that is no mean feat.
As with any Lanthimos film, you never really know which direction it will go, and this is no exception.
It takes wild leaps, jumps into the land of the bizarre, and will alienate some viewers; his films always do, but it is brilliant in a bonkers way. Lanthimos is back!
, in cinemas, Oct 31, cert 15, ****
