‘Bugonia’ Review: A Twisted Story in the Current Age of Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories have become a harmless hobby for some people. They go down the online rabbit hole and choose their own truth against what actually is. For conspiracy theorists, everything presented to them becomes part of their belief and reinforces their belief.

“Bugonia” is a reflection of the times we live in.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest — the 2003 South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!” English-language remake of — follows Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons), a paranoid beekeeper and package scanner for pharmaceutical giant Oxolith, who plots to kidnap the company’s CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), whom he believes. an extra There is hell to destroy the earth.

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Jesse Plemons stars as Teddy in Focus Features’ release of Bugonia from director Yorgos Lanthimos. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

Fuller is one Elizabeth Holmes-Type Boss — robotic-sounding to her employees, always wearing a white blouse and black jacket as seen on many magazine covers and framed photos, obsessed with wellness.

Teddy is also his own leader. He’s the one-man “human resistance” as he calls himself, two if you count his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis), who serves as a loyal henchman. Don expresses his concern about being caught, to which Teddy assures him, “No one on earth gives a damn about you.”

Disguised in a funky Jennifer Aniston paper mask that Jennifer Aniston finds in a thrift store, Teddy and Don undertake the mission to lure Fuller (who makes a good fight briefly) out of her house and take her to his house in the middle of nowhere. Teddy orders Don to shave the unconscious Fuller’s hair. Her hair helps her communicate with her home planet.

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Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” a Focus Features release. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

As Fuller is chained in the basement, the usually scruffy Teddy and Don wear suits in the presence of a high-ranking foreign official. Teddy accuses Fuller of killing her family, colleagues and bees and demands that she be taken to her mother’s house.

Fuller humorously maintains her business-like composure and tells 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 and says her kidnapping is like the governor’s, “but worse.”

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Aidan Delbis as Don and Jesse Plemons as Teddy in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” a Focus Features release. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

The dynamic between Teddy and Dawn is a fascinating one. Teddy presents himself as Don’s guardian (Don, like Delbis in real life, is autistic). He promises that Don will make the people think he’s a hero if they go through with his plan, yet Don is the voice of reason as he expresses quiet skepticism about Teddy’s distorted reality.

“Bugonia” marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos – her second win Oscar For the “poor things” of 2023. As usual, she is excellent as Michelle Fuller, an out-of-touch executive who subtly changes her strategy in hopes of escaping captivity.

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Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” a Focus Features release. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

However, the film really belongs to her co-star. Despite not being a household name, Jesse Plemons’ career has been remarkable. An Oscar nominee himself, Plemons has appeared in more than half a dozen Best Picture-nominated films over the past decade, but audiences may know him best from his stint on “Breaking Bad.” Here, Plemons gives his best performance as a deeply troubled man in pursuit of what he believes to be a noble mission.

Lanthimos has become one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers. His unique storytelling combines the grotesque and dark with intensity and humor (see “The Lobster” (2015), “The Favorite” (2018), “Poor Things” etc.) His films are a breath of fresh air, carving their own lane that few can.

Assisting the Greek director are eye-catching camerawork by cinematographer Robbie Ryan — twice Oscar-nominated for “The Favorite” and “Poor Things” — and a biting screenplay by 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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Emma Stone as Michelle, Aidan Delbis as Dawn and Jesse Plemons as Teddy in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia,” a Focus Features release. (Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features.)

Result:

“Bugonia” is a twisted satire that captures the delusional grip of conspiracy culture in today’s discourse. Gritty, thrilling and darkly funny, Lanthimos’ latest might not be his breakthrough, but it’s another strong entry in his filmography – and proof that he’s one of the most visionary directors working today.

★★★ ½ — Watch now

“Bugonia” is rated R for gory violent content including suicide, gruesome images and language. Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. Wide release in select theaters, October 31, 2025.

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