November 2, 2025 · Watch the official trailer
When a filmmaker allows audiences into the world of the movies they create, it is often a very revealing portrait of their own personal dogmas and psyche.
To say that there isn’t an auteur quite like Yorgos Lanthimos would be an understatement, given the exceptionally eccentric pieces of avant-garde cinema that the Greek filmmaker creates.
The mind behind “The Favourite,” “The Lobster,” and “Poor Things” is back with a truly twisted and bizarre modern tale of conspiracy theory and philosophy with “Bugonia,” his fourth collaboration with two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone.
The film finds Teddy, a loner on the fringe of society, determined to save humanity by kidnapping the CEO of a medical research firm he believes to be an alien. The events that transpire between the two, alongside Teddy’s cousin Don, create a shocking, twisted, yet deeply resonant and cynical look at humanity and the dangers of assuredness.
Because “Bugonia” is written essentially as a three-hander, the limited cast of characters must all deliver pitch-perfect performances in order to make such a dialogue-heavy, strange film successful.
Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons does a remarkable job as the film’s primary protagonist, although he brings just enough of an unreliable narrator quality to the self-assuredness he gives Teddy that audiences remain truly uncertain where they stand until the final moments.
A terrific character actor who is only now getting a chance to shine in larger roles, Plemons is an ideal candidate to blend the lovable, awkward quirks of Teddy’s personality with an overly tanned, mop-headed look and a confidence that wobbles almost to the point of fracture at just the right moments.
What makes “Bugonia” such a special film in its talk-heavy sequences is the precision its performers place on cadence – knowing exactly which words to emphasize and the right amount of time to leave between lines, leaving audiences desperate for the furtherance of the story.
This is especially true in Plemons’s performance opposite newcomer Aiden Delbis, who plays Teddy’s cousin Donnie. The brotherly care and genuine emotion the two feel for each other – though largely unspoken – resonates with every intonation and pause that both performers bring to their scenes together. It’s truly special to see a 19-year-old actor in his debut hold his own so strongly with two such powerhouse performers.
“Bugonia” may be the most challenging work of Stone’s filmography with Lanthimos as director, given the complex nature of her character arc. It’s important to the film that audiences never truly know whether Teddy or Michelle are right in their arguments over the course of the story, and Stone must gently balance her performance to ensure audiences are never completely clued in as to whether her character is – or isn’t – an alien.
For as ridiculous as that sounds, Stone is mesmerizing to watch, especially in her numerous extended monologues that allow the two-time Oscar winner freedom to show off a wide range of emotion. Yet there’s still something so haunting about how Stone imbues Michelle with exceptional composure, given the trap-like captivity of her situation.
Lanthimos reteams with longtime collaborator and director of photography Robbie Ryan – nominated for the cinematography of “The Favourite” and “Poor Things” – to create two distinct visual worlds in Bugonia, the pristine commercial society Michelle strides through and the gritty, rural, almost broken Teddy wallows away in.
Through the use of VistaVision 35 mm film, Ryan and Lanthimos elongate the frame to give audiences a wide berth in which to immerse themselves, especially in the dingy, aluminum-sealed basement much of the narrative takes place in. In both wide angles and searing closeups that create Stone’s iconic look, viewers are drawn even deeper into the conspiratorial worldview of Teddy’s paranoia, while still looking twice as Michelle evades relatability to audiences.
In some ways, “Bugonia” is exactly the sort of outlandishly original piece of cinema that Oscar voters have championed in recent years with Lanthimos’ work almost becoming a staple at awards ceremonies. While this film isn’t expected to be the same major player that “Poor Things” was two years ago, nominations for a two-time winner in Stone and cinematography hardly seem farfetched, with screenplay and a potential best picture nod not being out of the realm of possibility either.
Ultimately, Lanthimos’ eccentricities as a filmmaker and the biting comedic satire at play may be too much for certain viewers to rally behind as “Bugonia” makes its way through a theatrical release and awards season push. However, cinephiles familiar with the auteur’s unique point of view or those excited by compelling work from Stone and Plemons should make the effort to catch “Bugonia” on the big screen.
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