S7 EP8: Yorgos Lanthimos discusses working with Emma Stone, suffering for his art, and directing a Bourne movie

In this special bonus episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast, host Louis Theroux sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos to discuss his distinctive cinematic style, his journey from Greece to Hollywood, and his approach to storytelling. Lanthimos reflects on the making of his BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated film Begonia, a surreal conspiracy thriller starring Emma Stone, and traces the roots of his work back to his breakthrough film Dogtooth. He discusses the deliberate ambiguity in his films—prioritizing 'how' over 'why'—and the intentional discomfort they provoke, which he sees as a necessary tool for challenging audiences. Lanthimos reveals his early days in Greece, where he made low-budget films with friends and worked in advertising to survive, and shares how he eventually moved to the UK and later Hollywood, where he flirted with directing a Bourne movie but ultimately rejected the studio system for creative control. He also opens up about his personal life, including his complicated relationship with his father and his decision not to have children, linking it to his critical view of family structures. Throughout the conversation, Lanthimos emphasizes trust, instinct, and collaboration with actors like Stone and Willem Dafoe, who thrive in his unique working environment. The episode closes with reflections on the state of the world—climate change, refugee crises, and political extremism—and whether his next project might be more directly political. Key takeaways include: 1) Lanthimos values ambiguity and audience interpretation over clear narrative resolution; 2) He prioritizes creative control and trusts his collaborators deeply, often withholding explanations to preserve artistic surprise; 3) His films are not driven by ideology but by exploring human behavior and power dynamics within constructed worlds; 4) He views discomfort and provocation as essential to meaningful art; 5) His work ethic stems from years of self-education and hands-on experience in commercials; 6) He remains skeptical of mainstream Hollywood’s creative constraints, even when offered high-profile opportunities; 7) Personal trauma and family dynamics inform his worldview and cinematic themes; 8) He believes in the power of art to reflect societal tensions without prescribing answers.