Bugonia (2025)
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Premise: A remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! A tech CEO (Emma Stone) is abducted by a pair of conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who believe this business woman is an extraterrestrial.
What Works: Bugonia channels the conspiracy theorizing and anti-elite sentiment that characterizes today’s culture. The film’s concept is in touch with this historical moment and Bugonia dramatizes a mix of paranoia and grievance in a way that is generally smart. Bugonia hinges upon the characters played by Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Aidan Delbis. The three characters are clearly defined. We can hear that distinction in their dialogue. Stone plays the business woman and she speaks like a corporate email, cautious and trying to make a deal. We can perceive the calculations happening in the CEO’s head as she speaks. Plemons plays the leader of the two conspiracy theorists. He’s angry and convinced of his own virtue but he’s also coping with the hospitalization of his mother and Plemons’ performance mixes righteousness with desperation. Delbis plays the junior member of the abduction team. He appears to be mentally impaired but Delbis’ also gives the character dignity and moral clarity which adds humanity to the film. Bugonia is impressively designed. The story is primarily set in domestic spaces and the decoration of those spaces tells us a lot about the people who live there. It’s also well shot. The camera placement and movement are used to convey the power differentials between the characters and complement the negotiations. The filmmakers keep the viewer on edge throughout the picture. The structure of the story inherently escalates the stakes and the film has a bonkers and unpredictable energy.
What Doesn’t: Bugonia is going to polarize the audience. It is the sort of film that viewers will either admire for its weirdness and bold storytelling decisions or reject for those same reasons. The resolution in particular is going to be divisive. The narrative skews into a different direction than it initially appeared to be heading and that storytelling choice raises a critical question about the movie. It’s not entirely clear what point, if any, we should take from Bugonia. The finale—and retroactively the whole film—comes across cynical but not necessarily in a way that is enlightening. The premise of Bugonia dramatizes the present cultural moment but the resolution of the story doesn’t really provide any insight. For those who appreciate it, Bugonia is terrifically weird but in a way that feels a little smug.
Bottom Line: Bugonia may not be a movie for everyone but it is skillfully made, well acted, and mostly smart. What the film ultimately means is a bit nebulous. Viewers open to its weirdness will find Bugonia to be a wild and rewarding ride.
Episode: #1073 (November 9, 2025)