Bugonia Review [Fantastic Fest 2025]

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia is a chillling exploration of the way that humans have destroyed this planet. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are brilliant.

Yorgos Lanthimos has an instanty recognizable style, so even if you went into Bugonia not knowing who directed the film, it would not take long for you to figure it out. This is not a bad thing because, honestly, I cannot imagine anyone else tackling this eerie yet poignant story. He is the perfect director to explore the themes woven throughout this twisted story about conspiracy theories.

When the CEO of a major company (Emma Stone) is kidnapped by two young men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who believe she is an alien, things get really dark and crazy, pretty quickly. As she tries to convince them to let her from their basement where she is held captive, the story evolves in unexpected and twisted ways.

Viewers cannot help but laugh at Teddy and Don as they spew all the details of what they believe to be true. Yes, they provide the comedic relief, purely because of the absurdity of it all, that is much needed when you think about the dark and twisted themes that are at the center of this. To call it a black comedy is a bit of an exaggeration simply because it leans more into the twisted side of things than the comedic aspect.

Diving into the minds of those who are down a deep, dark rabbit hole of consipracy theories is what makes Bugonia as intriguing as it is. The longer we spend with Teddy (Plemons) and Don (Delbis) the more and more ridiculous they sound. The sad thing is that there are people like that in this world, and they believe with their entire being that they are correct, no matter what proof is looking them in the face that they are not.

Yorgos Lanthimos has worked with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons before so he knows how to pull their best work out of them. Both are incredible actors who have given their all to many past roles, but these are two career best performances. Which says a lot if you have seen basically any of their other work.

Watching them go toe-to-toe, or brain-to-brain, multiple times in Bugonia is more than a joy, it is basically a masterclass in acting. They are phenomenal in this film, each of them bringing something out of each other that I am not sure I have ever seen before.

Teddy is a deeply disturbed individual, but once you start to learn why, you almost empathize with him, despite the terrible things he has done. Stone’s character is not a good person either, which is shown in the beginning of the movie, and every so often sprinkled throughout. Delbis adds a ton of heart, and is easily the most likable and normal character of them all.

Conspiracy theories are of course the main theme of Bugonia, but there is quite a bit about the environment and how we have treated this planet as human beings over the course of our existance.

The overall message of the movie is that we need to love our Mother more. We have destroyed her and despite being presented with overwhelming evidence that we are, we simply do not seem to care or do anything to stop it.

Bugonia is a difficult movie to talk about without getting into spoilers because the way that things evolve are shocking and disturbing, but also done extremely well. This is a movie that will make you think, despite your feelings on it.

Bugonia is certainly not for everyone. The ending is divisive to say the least, but I had to time of my life watching it. And yes, I will be thinking about the way I treat the planet from now on. The biggest take away is the way this movie will make you consider your actions, the way you treat others, and of course, the incredible performances from Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone.

About Bugonia

Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

Bugonia was a surprise screening at Fantastic Fest 2025 and comes to theaters on October 24.

NEXT: Silent Night, Deadly Night Review [Fantastic Fest 2025]