Yesterday I watched the premiere of “L’Étranger / The Stranger” by François Ozon at the Venice Film Festival (PalaBiennale), September 2; runtime — 122′). It’s a Camus adaptation with Benjamin Voisin, Rebecca Marder, Pierre Lottin, Denis Lavant, Swann Arlaud; cinematography by Manu Dacosse, music by Fatima Al Qadiri.
This is a film that doesn’t “explain” Camus—it translates him into the language of cinema: through rhythm, light, the temperature of space, and silence. And that’s exactly why you want to see it more than once.
Ozon doesn’t try to “explain” Camus. He turns it into pure cinema. The conflict doesn’t come from big actions but from the hero’s inertia. Meursault floats along, and this drift oddly keeps the story moving. Choices seem to happen on their own, without bold signposts, so the tension grows. We don’t get neat reasons; we just feel a dangerous emptiness opening between scenes.
The staging and rhythm are exact, never showy. The editing is patient but not slow for the sake of it. Each scene rests on one clear gesture—sound, a look, a small movement—and that carries the meaning. The camera works with air and light: heat, shimmering water, the horizon’s pulse. It’s not background; it’s part of the drama. The music doesn’t tell you what to feel—it rises from inside the image. Style is there, but it always serves the story.
What hit me most is how space makes choices for people. The beach, the white glare, the blinding sun—under this heat, a person’s outline starts to blur. Words step back. The physical feeling—heat, noise, light—does what dialogue usually does. We supply the reasons ourselves, and that feels honest to the book.
As a director, I’m taking a few simple lessons with me. Cut explanations where the environment and rhythm can speak louder. Give each scene one clear axis and don’t scatter tricks. Don’t fear a “cold” hero if the space is charged—the audience will still feel it. And let time breathe a little longer than usual: tension often lives in that half-pause between action and silence.
Let me say right away: I’m not a film critic or an expert, so you won’t find long essays or detailed structural analyses here. I’m just sharing what struck me personally.
Yorgos Lanthimos has made an incredible sci-fi comedy — dynamic, modern, full of subtle humor, and with a great ending. Some viewers might find it a bit too “bloody,” but to me, it all fits perfectly within the genre.
“Bugonia” is a movie for those who love sci-fi, conspiracy theories, and flat-earth jokes. Even though the number of locations is limited, the film feels vibrant, colorful, and even “tasty.” Cinematographer Robbie Ryan created an amazing atmosphere of small-town America — it may look like the middle of nowhere, but on screen it shines like a kaleidoscope.
Emma Stone is simply brilliant here. Her pairing with Jesse Plemons is a joy to watch: they are so convincing. Emma Stone plays a “high-profile female executive,” and Jesse Plemons takes on the role of a “conspiracy expert.” And what’s interesting is that, despite the grotesque and exaggerated style of storytelling, the sense of reality and relevance never leaves you until the very end.
For me, “Bugonia” is a film about how absurdity and the reality of our lives become almost indistinguishable.
Unfortunately, the film didn’t win any awards at the Venice Film Festival, but in my opinion, it absolutely deserved one for Best Director.
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