REVIEW: “Bugonia” (2025)

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I usually approach a Yorgos Lanthimos film with some hesitation. The prolific Greek director has become a critical favorite, releasing three well-received movies in just three years. While “Poor Things” felt like an exaggeration of his weaker filmmaking habits, last year’s “Kinds of Kindness” was similarly disappointing and easily forgotten. His latest, “Bugonia”, continues this trend.

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have teamed up for their fourth film together. Stone, often considered Lanthimos’s favorite actor, fully commits to his unique and often challenging style. While past collaborations, like “Poor Things,” featured intense physical transformations, Lanthimos’s request for Stone to shave her head in “Bugonia” feels oddly minor – it’s mostly used for a running gag. Ultimately, “Bugonia” offers much more to discuss than just its unusual visual choices.

Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his strange and unsettling films, and “Bugonia” fits right in. It’s a wildly original story with quirky characters who seem on the verge of losing it – much like Lanthimos’s previous work. This film is based on a 2003 South Korean movie called “Save the Green Planet!” and the script comes from Will Tracy, who also co-wrote the acclaimed film “The Menu.” Emma Stone gives a great performance, but Jesse Plemons truly shines, alongside the incredibly talented young actor Aidan Delbis, who is on the autism spectrum. All three actors deliver fantastic performances.

“Bugonia” is a brutally honest and pessimistic film, offering a harsh critique of humanity. It’s filled with disturbing violence and offers no sense of hope. Surprisingly, it’s also a darkly funny and absurd comedy. Director Lanthimos skillfully balances these contrasting elements while exploring serious issues like loneliness, the loss of humanity, the breakdown of society, and corporate dishonesty.

Jeremy Plemons stars as Teddy Gatz, a man obsessed with bees and wild conspiracy theories. He lives on his family’s farm with Don (played by Delbis), his neurodivergent cousin and only friend. When he’s not caring for his beehives, Teddy fills Don’s head with outlandish theories about politics, medicine, science, and society. His most far-fetched idea is that aliens from the Andromeda galaxy are secretly living among us, disguised as people in positions of power, and are planning to take over the Earth.

I’m really getting a sense that Michelle Fuller, the CEO of Auxolith, is all about appearances. She’s putting on this show of caring about diversity and worker wellbeing, filming these fake HR videos and talking about a new company culture. But it feels so hollow! Like that little ‘feel free to leave early’ thing – it sounds nice until she immediately adds ‘unless you have work to do.’ It just shows how much of a facade it all is, and it’s pretty obvious she doesn’t actually care.

Teddy firmly believes Michelle is an alien from the Andromeda galaxy, preparing for an invasion. He tricks Don into helping him abduct her, hoping to use her as a negotiator to prevent the invasion with the Andromedan Emperor. Once they have her, Teddy and Don drug Michelle and take her to their farmhouse basement. There, they shave her head to cut off communication with her spaceship and cover her in allergy cream, believing it will hide her from tracking. They then wait four days for a lunar eclipse, hoping it will allow her mothership to arrive without being noticed.

Michelle tries to reason with her captors, pointing out the ridiculousness of the situation. However, Teddy remains stubbornly convinced of his distorted beliefs and responds harshly to her attempts to resist. Though his life is a mess, we begin to understand that Teddy’s instability stems from a tragic past, as the story unfolds. This doesn’t excuse his cruel behavior, but it does explain his motivations and reveals him to be more than just someone who’s lost their mind.

Michelle isn’t a saint, either. The film wants us to hope she escapes, but it also constantly shows us she’s cunning and fiercely determined. Her sharp business skills make her a powerful match for Teddy, creating a compelling battle of wills. She’s equally tough on Don, expertly using his emotions against him to get what she wants.

Wow, the last half hour of this film is a wild ride! Things really kick into high gear with the tension and action building to an incredible peak. The ending is completely over-the-top, honestly a bit ridiculous, but it packs a serious emotional punch. It really drives home the film’s central message. Now, like many films by this director, there are a few plot threads left dangling, which is a little frustrating – it feels like both the audience and the story deserve a bit more closure. However, what sets this one apart is that “Bugonia” manages to overcome those issues better than any of his previous work. Honestly, it’s his most rewarding film yet.

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2025-11-03 16:58