Big Bug [2022] Netflix Review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Latest Aims Too High with Its Idiosyncrasies (2024)

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It is ironic that Jean-Pierre Jeunet had to rely on the streaming giant Netflix for his long-harbored passion project. For “Big Bug (stylized as Bigbug)” is a film that serves as a satire for many things, the primary one being over-indulgence in technological progress. It is safe to say that, by now, it is not particularly ingenious to decide to ponder over “How much is too much?” when it comes to advancements in technology. An Artificial Intelligence backed being trumping and taking over humanity, and thus compromising the concept of freedom, is quite a common trope in science fiction. But, regularity does not necessarily mean inefficiency. That is where creativity lies, and Jeunet does not lack that. However, “Big Bug” is not the result of the optimum idiosyncratic exuberance and brilliance that the French Auteur has previously displayed. Like in “Amelie”, or “Delicatessen”. “Big Bug” falls somewhat in-between.

In this blatantly futuristic tale, the humans are passive and dormant. The major portion of governance is done by the Robots, especially the ones called Les Yonyx (Francois Levantal); a horde of Robocop-styled authoritative figures. In this world, the story is set in 2045 France. Alice (Elsa Zylberstein) lives in an absurdly colored and oddly structured neighborhood, which screams of extravagance and yet cyberpunk. She is visited by a pair of father and son, Max (Stephane de Groodt) and Leo (Helie Thonnat). Max tries to woo Alice, using her penchant for antiques; things of the modern world that Jeunet and his fellow writer Guillaume Laurant predict to be old-fashioned to be antique by 2045.

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The already intriguing setup is further spiced up, by the presence of the domestic robots, who with time seem to be on the side of their human masters. Monique, Tom, Einstein, and Decker serve a variety of purposes from being a domestic help to an intelligent companion. The story had them observing and pondering over human emotions and fallacies. One particular scene has Monique gauging Max’s actual emotions and intentions, while Max goes on with his ‘charming’ ways with Alice. The robots at Alice’s house also harbor a desire to become more human-like. This is another science fiction road the film tries to briefly walkabout. The question of artificial intelligence growing and learning human emotions.

As if things were not interesting enough, along comes Victor (Youssef Hajdi), Alice’s ex-husband; with Nina (Marysole Fertard), their adopted daughter, and Jennifer (Claire Chust), Victor’s assistant cum girlfriend. They swing by Alice’s place to drop Nina before they could go on a vacation to a paradise-esque island. The tableau gets completed when Alice’s middle-aged neighbor Francois (Isabelle Nanty) joins the melee. Again, Jeunet sets up a motley crew, which could serve the purpose of a separate plot device as well; with the sexual tension, normal tension, jealousy, and scheming between all these human characters.

As an uprising from Yonyx robots starts, the city goes on a lockdown (another separate and relevant to the current world plot device), and the characters are trapped with each other. This is where one has to wonder whether Jeunet crammed too much inside this less than two hours satire. His skill does help the film to navigate enough so that it does not become too meandering and confused between these separate aspects; however, it does not help the cause of the seamless flow of the film either. The entire film does reflect a certain parodic sketch, more than a well-crafted satire.

Also, Read – Here Before (2021): ‘SXSW’ Review – A Gloomy Psychological Noir with an Excellent Central Performance

The garish nature of the film is well complemented by its zany technicalities; the editing, involving absurd cuts, the obtrusive cinematography with the glaring conjunction of bright colors, and the production design. The entire house and neighborhood, designed in the film, has a weird and lurid subversion of Jacques Tati’s “Mon Oncle” feel. The actors also exaggerate the tropes of their assigned characters, and they do really well at that.

“Big bug” has the familiar notes of Jean-Pierre Jeunet that we love to see. However, that is also accompanied by some ill-measured creative turns in the film. Depending on one’s patience, one might find the film from garish eyesore to somewhat palatable satire with some specks of brilliance. I am currently leaning towards the latter, with some reservations about the former.

★★★

Big Bug (Bigbug) is now streaming on Netflix

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-sWlgFhUGo

Big Bug (BigBug) Links – IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes
Big Bug (BigBug) Cast – Isabelle Nanty, Elsa Zylberstein, Claude Perron, Stéphane De Groodt, Youssef Hajdi, Claire Chust

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