Bugonia is a story about paranoia, desperation, and desperate extremes. Pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone) is the target of two conspiracy-obsessed men. Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) believe the world is out to get them. Furthermore, Teddy is convinced Michelle is an alien from Andromeda. She, and her kind, and responsible for humanity’s suffering. Along with Don, he kidnaps her and imprisons her in a basement. They shave her head, cover her in creams, and set wild ultimata. As the days tick by, their accusations, paranoia, and violence intensify.
What works in Bugonia is the sharp, twisted brilliance of its script, the fearless performances across the board, and the taut mystery that keeps the audience guessing long after the opening credits. Stone gives a remarkable performance as Michelle. She is vulnerable, terrified, but also cunning. She is a woman caught in a nightmare that pushes her to fight back. Plemons brings Teddy to life with a chilling sincerity. He never plays him as a joke. Instead, he makes him frighteningly real, convinced, unhinged and sorrowful all at once. The supporting cast, including Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone, round out the film with tension and emotional texture. Bugonia builds its dread slowly. It lets paranoia settle into bones before shattering the silence. The tone is dark. The world feels twisted but plausible.
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Bugonia is not a film for everyone. Its violence and psychological horror are raw and unfiltered. Director Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) does not shy away from the film’s hardest corners, which means some audience members may want to seek lighter fare. With Bugonia, he lets the guilt, the fear, and the moral rot seep across the screen. The scenes of torture and psychological breakdown do not flinch. They unsettle. They linger in the mind. The pacing remains deliberate: never rushing, always building. When the final act hits, the impact is brutal, unavoidable. The film doesn’t offer comfort. It offers cold reflection. It asks: what happens when belief becomes weaponized? When desperate people decide that destruction is salvation? Bugonia doesn’t offer easy answers. It offers chaos, confrontation, and a mirror reflecting a world where reason has slipped and only fear remains.
Bugonia is one of the boldest films of the year. The movie uses horror, science fiction, and conspiracy to dig deep into human fear. It challenges, shocks, and lingers. If you can handle the ride, it will stay with you long after the lights come up.
Recommended if you enjoyed: It Was Just an Accident, Poor Things, The Lighthouse
Bugonia is now available to purchase and/or rent from most digital platforms.
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