Bugonia explores the fragile intersection between truth and delusion, wrapping its science fiction core in layers of dark comedy and psychological unease. This English-language remake of Save the Green Planet! is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, whose signature blend of discomfort, detachment, and deadpan absurdity is on full display. Anchored by stellar performances and a biting script by Will Tracy, Bugonia is unsettling, fast-paced, and riddled with tension, though it flirts with its deeper themes more than it confronts them. The film centers on Teddy, a conspiracy-obsessed recluse played with unnerving conviction by Jesse Plemons. Convinced that Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), CEO of the pharmaceutical company, is a high-ranking member of a secret alien race, Teddy enlists his cousin Don in a plot to kidnap and interrogate her.
Emma Stone delivers a fierce and multifaceted performance as Michelle. Shaved, restrained, and stripped of power, she cycles through survival tactics with calculated urgency, attempting empathy, negotiation, and manipulation as her captors’ beliefs tighten around her. Is she an innocent corporate titan trapped in the delusions of a madman? Or is there a chilling truth beneath Teddy’s madness? Stone walks this tightrope brilliantly, grounding the surreal premise with visceral emotion and intellect. Jesse Plemons gives one of his most unsettling performances to date. Teddy is not a caricature, but a man hollowed out by grief and purpose. Haunted by loss, consumed by online rabbit holes, and desperate for meaning, he builds a narrative where violence is justified by imagined heroism. Plemons avoids theatricality, instead portraying Teddy with an eerie calm that makes his cruelty even more disturbing. He channels his unresolved childhood trauma and grudge against big pharmaceutical companies into an echo chamber of conspiracy theories.
The film’s dark humor arises from the absurdity of the situation, particularly as Teddy’s pseudo-scientific theories clash with Michelle’s incredulous pragmatism. Dialogues veer between chilling and ridiculous, highlighting the dangers of unchecked belief and the absurdity of trying to reason with fanaticism. Yet Bugonia introduces ideas of corporate complicity, societal disconnection, and brainwashing, but never fully interrogates them. Instead, it weaponizes them for psychological tension, choosing character and chaos over commentary. Cinematographer Robbie Ryan leans into a muted, washed-out palette that reflects the characters’ psychological unraveling. Early scenes are shot with stillness, framing Teddy’s world as bleak but orderly. As the story progresses, the camera becomes more erratic, with quick zooms, tilted angles, and flickering light mirroring the growing instability of Teddy’s mind and the viewer’s growing uncertainty about Michelle. Sound design and score add to the mounting dread: bursts of static, whispers, and low-frequency rumbles pulse beneath otherwise mundane interactions and loud dramatic music to place emphasis.
At its core, Bugonia is a survival thriller with a blend of science fiction. Michelle must outwit her captors while navigating the dangerous terrain of their delusions. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur, so does the viewer’s allegiance. Bugonia delivers a disturbing, engrossing ride that blends grief, absurdity, and unease with surgical precision. Its questions about control, trust, and collective delusion linger long after the credits roll. The film suggests that the line between savior and monster may be thinner than we’d like to believe.