When Yorgos Lanthimos returned with Bugonia in 2025, expectation was high. His previous films — The Favourite, Poor Things, The Lobster, Kinds of Kindness — have cemented him as one of the most distinctive voices in modern auteur cinema. Bugonia is perhaps his boldest gamble yet: a surreal, darkly comedic sci‑fi kidnapping drama that reimagines the 2003 South Korean cult film Save the Green Planet! for a global, twisted audience.
In Bugonia, two conspiracy‑obsessed men — Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his neurodivergent cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) — abduct Michelle Fuller, a powerful pharmaceutical CEO, believing she is an alien intent on destroying the planet. The bulk of the film plays out as a claustrophobic standoff: Michelle is trapped, they interrogate her, theories and ideologies collide, and the film slowly unfolds into something both absurd and ominous.
From a filmmaking standpoint, Bugonia is ambitious. It is Lanthimos’ most expensive film to date, with a budget somewhere between forty-five and fifty-five million dollars. The cinematography by Robbie Ryan is frequently praised — striking visuals, bold framing, and a color palette that jolts the viewer. But not all critics agree that the film’s form matches its ambitions. Some argue it falters in pacing and depth.
One of Bugonia’s strongest pillars is Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller. Stone underwent a radical transformation — she even shaved her head for the role — which underscores her commitment to fully inhabiting the character. Critics generally agree she delivers a commanding performance, balancing vulnerability, wit, and defiance as she attempts to outmaneuver her captors. TIME put it succinctly: “Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia … is an aggressively wicked black comedy. … But Emma Stone can do no wrong.”
Stone is no stranger to Lanthimos’ style — this is her fourth collaboration with him (after The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness) — and she’s often regarded as his ideal muse. In Bugonia, her performance feels both familiar (in her comfort with Lanthimos’ oddness) and fresh — there are moments where she must lean hard into ambiguity, neither fully villain nor victim.
Jesse Plemons, too, earns acclaim. His Teddy is wild, obsessive, and often chillingly unpredictable. Many reviews cite the chemistry between Stone and Plemons — their scenes form the emotional and dramatic core of the film. Aidan Delbis, as Don, also draws praise as a quieter counterbalance — his portrayal of neurodivergence offers a humanizing logic amid the chaos.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Bugonia holds a ninety percent Tomatometer, and many acclaim its audacity and performances. Critics’ consensus calls it a “bonkers entertainment” that harnesses Lanthimos’ trademark method to interrogate modern absurdities. Top critics praise its visual ambition and performances, though some caution that it is not his greatest work. According to some of the more skeptical reviews, Bugonia “feels in a way like Lanthimos on automatic and in overdrive,” with moments that lack true emotional ballast.
On IMDb, while a definitive score wasn’t visible, discussion threads show a mixed but engaged response from users. Some write that “Bugonia is by no means Lanthimos’ best work, but it looks spectacular thanks to the sheer richness, the stinging clarity and the eye‑searing visuals.” Others express admiration for the visuals and audacity, though some feel the film’s middle section sags or its message is underdeveloped.
Thus, among critics, Bugonia is largely a hit — especially for those attuned to Lanthimos’ sensibilities — while among audience and fan circles, reactions lean more cautious, with praise tempered by critiques of pacing and narrative coherence.
Strengths:
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The performances — especially Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons — are vivid, compelling, and push the film’s emotional stakes.
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Lanthimos continues to be visually daring. Bugonia delivers several set pieces that are haunting, surreal, and striking.
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Its themes — conspiracy, power, paranoia, and ecological anxiety — feel urgent and timely.
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Taken on its own terms: as a provocative, uneasy work, it achieves something memorable.
Weaknesses:
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The pacing is uneven. The middle section — where much of the kidnapping drama is locked in close quarters — can feel repetitive or suffocating without forward momentum.
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Some critics argue that its thematic ambitions don’t always land with clarity; ideas about corporate evil, environmental collapse, and conspiracy logic sometimes feel more gestured at than fully probed.
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It may not be a film for everyone. If you prefer more conventional storytelling or emotional arcs, Bugonia’s surrealism and tonal swings can alienate.
So, Bugonia is not a flawless film, but for fans of bold, abrasive cinema it largely succeeds. It’s not likely to become a broad crowd‑pleaser, but among the cinephile crowd it will likely be remembered as one of Lanthimos’ more daring experiments. If your tolerance for discomfort, ambiguity, and weirdness is high, Bugonia is well worth the ride.
