‘Bugonia’ Review: A twisted tale in the current age of conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories have become more than a harmless hobby for some people. They go down online rabbit holes, choosing their own reality over what actually happens. According to conspirators, everything presented to them only reinforces what they believe and becomes a part of their identity.

“Bugonia” is a reflection of the times we live in.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ last film – 2003 South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!” English remake of the movie. – It follows Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons), a paranoid beekeeper and package scanner for pharmaceutical giant Auxolith; This person is making plans to kidnap the company’s CEO, Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), whom he thinks is an alien determined to destroy the Earth.

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Fuller is an Elizabeth Holmes-type boss; She treats her employees like robots, always wears the same white blouse and black jacket as seen on various magazine covers and framed photos, and is obsessed with healthy living.

Teddy is also a leader in his own right. He serves as a one-man “human resistance,” as he calls it, and a two-man, loyal henchman if you count his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). Don expresses concern about getting caught, and Teddy reassures him: “No one in the world says a single nonsense about us.”

Wearing funny Jennifer Aniston sheet masks they found at a store, Teddy and Don carry out the mission and kidnap Fuller (who briefly puts up a good fight) in front of his house and take him back to his house in the middle of nowhere. Teddy orders Don to shave an unconscious Fuller’s hair. Her hair, of course, helps her communicate with her home planet.

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Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Focus Features film “Bugonia.” (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

With Fuller chained up in the basement, the normally disheveled Teddy and Don don suits in the presence of a high-ranking alien official. Teddy asks Fuller to take them to his mothership and accuses him of killing his family, co-workers, and the bees.

Fuller humorously maintains his businesslike composure, telling Teddy: “I understand where you’re coming from, but I respectfully disagree.” The powerful chief also warns her that the police will follow them, saying her kidnapping is like a governor’s, “but worse.”

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Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Focus Features film “Bugonia” stars Aidan Delbis as Don and Jesse Plemons as Teddy. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

The dynamic between Teddy and Don is intriguing. Teddy introduces himself as Don’s guardian (Don is autistic, like Delbis in real life). Don promises that his people will think he’s a hero if they carry out his plans, but Don becomes the voice of reason as he expresses his quiet skepticism of Teddy’s twisted reality.

“Bugonia” marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos; Stone won her second Oscar for 2023’s “Poor Things.” As always, she’s excellent as Michelle Fuller, the out-of-touch executive who deftly changes her strategy in the hopes of escaping captivity.

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Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Focus Features film “Bugonia.” (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

But the movie really belongs to his co-star. Although he may not be a household name, Jesse Plemons has had a remarkable career. Plemons, himself an Oscar nominee, has appeared in more than a half-dozen Best Picture-nominated films over the past decade, but audiences may know him best from his role in “Breaking Bad.” Here Plemons gives his greatest performance as a deeply disturbed man pursuing what he thinks is a noble mission.

Lanthimos has become one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers. His unique storytelling combines the whimsical and bleak with intensity and humor (see “The Lobster” (2015), “The Favorite” (2018), “Poor Things,” etc.). His films are a breath of fresh air, forging his own path that few can achieve.

The Greek director is aided by stunning camerawork by cinematographer Robbie Ryan — a two-time Oscar nominee for “The Favorite” and “Poor Things” — and Will Tracy’s sharp script. British composer Jerskin Fendrix delivers music that hits you like a tidal wave when you least expect it.

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Director Yorgos Lanthimos’s Focus Features film “Bugonia” stars Emma Stone as Michelle, Aidan Delbis as Don and Jesse Plemons as Teddy. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

Decision:

“Bugonia” is a twisted satire that captures the misleading grip of conspiracy culture in today’s discourse. Brave, exciting and fiercely funny, Lanthimos’ latest film may not be his greatest achievement, but it is another strong entry in his filmography and proof that he is one of the most forward-thinking directors working today.

★★★ ½ — SEE NOW

“Bugonia” is rated R for bloody violent content, including suicide, gruesome imagery and language. Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes. Wide release in select theaters October 31, 2025.

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