Critically acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with his favorite muse Emma Stone for their fifth collaboration, ‘Bugonia’ — a darkly comic, unnervingly beautiful, and deeply unsettling remake of the 2003 South Korean cult classic ‘Save the Green Planet!’.
Known for his absurdist storytelling and deadpan direction, Lanthimos once again turns the ordinary into the grotesque, transforming psychological terror into biting satire. This time, he explores obsession, delusion, and the thin line between truth and madness — all while questioning who the real monsters are.
Premise. In ‘Bugonia’, two conspiracy theorists — Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) — kidnap Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of a global pharmaceutical company. Convinced that Michelle is an alien from the Andromeda Galaxy intent on destroying Earth, Teddy imprisons her in his basement, demanding answers that may never come.
The story unfolds like a warped hostage thriller mixed with Lanthimos’ trademark absurdity. Teddy’s paranoia and Michelle’s icy composure create a haunting dynamic: who’s truly in control — the captor or the captive?
Performances. Plemons delivers a masterful performance, balancing empathy and menace as a man undone by his own beliefs. Delbis, a newcomer with autism playing a character who shares that diagnosis, brings raw innocence to Don — the film’s quiet moral center amid chaos.
Stone, meanwhile, is magnificent. As Michelle, she weaponizes calmness, turning silence into dominance. It’s one of her most layered performances yet — poised and intelligent, yet pulsing with vulnerability and hidden rage. Her character’s ambiguous morality — corporate predator or misunderstood human — keeps the audience in constant suspense.
Visually, ‘Bugonia’ is breathtaking. Shot on 35 mm by Lanthimos’ longtime collaborator Robbie Ryan, every frame is meticulous — equal parts beautiful and claustrophobic. The shaky handheld camera work adds texture, creating the illusion that the film itself is trembling with anxiety.
The film contrasts cluttered, grimy interiors with eerily pristine outdoor shots — a visual metaphor for humanity’s fractured relationship with nature. Its haunting score deepens the unease, harmonizing with every flicker of fear and humor.
Like ‘The Menu’ (co-written by screenwriter Will Tracy), ‘Bugonia’ dissects contemporary madness — conspiracy culture, environmental collapse, and class resentment — with pitch-black humor. Lanthimos toys with empathy and disgust, refusing to let audiences feel comfortable.
Some critics argue that the film’s satire doesn’t dig deep enough into the systems that breed paranoia and corruption. But perhaps that’s the point: Bugonia is not a diagnosis — it’s a symptom, a mirror reflecting our shared delusions back at us.
LionhearTV‘s verdict. ‘Bugonia’ may not surpass Lanthimos’ best works like ‘The Favourite’ or ‘Poor Things’, but it’s undeniably captivating — a film that slithers between horror, absurdity, and art. It’s a masterclass in tone, a high-wire act where laughter and dread blur into one.
Strange, stylish, and uncomfortably smart, ‘Bugonia’ is Lanthimos at his most self-aware — still playing god, still laughing at our attempts to make sense of the chaos.
Rating: ★★★★☆ — A wickedly funny descent into madness, beautifully staged and terrifyingly human.
Now showing in Philippine cinemas.
