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Conspiracy theories have become more than a harmless hobby for certain folks. They go down online rabbit holes and choose their own truths versus what’s actually reality. To conspiracists, everything presented to them only reinforces what they believe, becoming part of their identity.
“Bugonia” is a reflection of the times we live in.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest — an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean flick “Save the Green Planet!” — follows Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons), a paranoid beekeeper and a package scanner for the pharmaceutical giant Auxolith, who plots to kidnap the company’s CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), someone who he thinks is an alien hellbent on destroying Earth.
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Fuller is an Elizabeth Holmes-type boss — robotic-sounding to her staff, always wearing the same white blouse and black jacket as seen in several magazine covers and framed photos, obsessed with wellness.
Teddy is a leader in his own right, too. He’s a one-man “human resistance” as he calls himself, two if you count his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis), serving as a loyal henchman of sorts. Don expresses his concerns about getting caught, to which Teddy assures him, “No one on Earth gives a single f— about us.”
Disguising in comical Jennifer Aniston paper masks they find at a store, Teddy and Don carry out the mission and abduct Fuller (who puts up a good fight, briefly) outside her home and take her back to his house in the middle of nowhere. Teddy orders Don to shave an unconscious Fuller’s hair. Her hair helps her communicate with her home planet, of course.
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As Fuller is chained in the basement, the normally unkempt Teddy and Don dress up in suits as they are in the presence of a high-ranking alien official. Teddy demands Fuller take them to her mothership, accusing her of killing his family, co-workers and the bees.
Fuller humorously maintains her business-like composure, telling Teddy, “I hear where you’re coming from, but I respectfully disagree.” The high-powered honcho also warns him that the police will track them down, saying her abduction is like that of a governor, “but worse.”
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The dynamic between Teddy and Don is a compelling one. Teddy presents himself as Don’s protector (Don, like Delbis in real life, is autistic). He promises Don people will think he’s a hero if they carry out their plan, yet Don is the voice of reason as he expresses quiet skepticism towards Teddy’s warped reality.
“Bugonia” marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos — she won her second Oscar for 2023’s “Poor Things.” Per usual, she is superb in the role of Michelle Fuller, the out-of-touch executive who subtly modifies her strategy in hopes of escaping captivity.
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However, the film really belongs to her co-star. Despite not being a household name, Jesse Plemons has had a remarkable career. An Oscar nominee himself, Plemons has appeared in more than half a dozen Best Picture nominated-films in the past decade, but audiences may recognize him best from his stint on “Breaking Bad.” Here, Plemons gives his greatest performance as a deeply disturbed man in pursuit of what he thinks is a noble mission.
Lanthimos has become one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers. His unique storytelling combines the bizarre and bleak with intensity and humor (see “The Lobster” (2015), “The Favourite” (2018), “Poor Things,” etc.) His films are a breath of fresh air, carving out his own lane that very few can.
Aiding the Greek director are the striking camerawork of cinematographer Robbie Ryan — twice Oscar-nominated for “The Favourite” and “Poor Things” — and the biting screenplay from Will Tracy. English composer Jerskin Fendrix delivers a score that hits you like a tidal wave when you least expect it.
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The Verdict:
“Bugonia” is a twisted satire that captures the delusional grip of conspiracy culture in today’s discourse. Gritty, thrilling, and darkly funny, Lanthimos’ latest may not be his crowning achievement, but it’s another strong entry in his filmography — and proof he’s one of the most visionary directors working today.
★★★ ½ — SEE IT NOW
“Bugonia” is rated R for bloody violent content including a suicide, grisly images and language. Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. In select theaters, wide release October 31, 2025.
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