Get ready for a wild ride as Emma Stone teams up with director Yorgos Lanthimos again for Bugonia, a dark sci-fi comedy where she might just be an alien targeted by two conspiracy theorists.
TL;DR- Oscar-winners Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in Yorgos Lanthimos's latest, Bugonia, a twisted sci-fi black comedy.
- The film follows two young men who kidnap a high-powered CEO (Stone), convinced she's an alien out to destroy Earth.
- Catch Bugonia in select theaters starting October 24, 2025, with a wider release following on October 31, 2025.
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Get Ready for a Wild Ride with Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone
Alright, film fans, clear your calendars! The dynamic duo of director Yorgos Lanthimos and powerhouse actress Emma Stone are back with another head-spinning project: Bugonia. And trust us, this isn't your average alien flick. If you loved their previous collaborations like Poor Things or The Favourite, you know you're in for something uniquely bizarre, and this one looks like it's taking things to a whole new, conspiratorial level.
This isn't just a movie; it's a genre-bending, black comedy, sci-fi thriller that's been making waves on the festival circuit, including debuts at the Venice International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and the BFI London Film Festival. Early word suggests it's a memorable, albeit sometimes uncomfortable, cinematic experience. So, buckle up!
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What's the Deal: A High-Powered CEO, Two Conspiracy Theorists, and Aliens
At its core, Bugonia introduces us to Michelle Fuller, played by the incredible Emma Stone. She's a high-profile, high-powered CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, living a life of wealth and isolation. Sounds pretty normal, right? Well, not according to Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). These two conspiracy-obsessed young men are absolutely convinced Michelle is an alien, specifically an Andromedan, intent on destroying Planet Earth.
Their solution? Kidnap her! The film kicks off with Michelle being abducted from her sterile, luxurious world and dragged into Teddy's rundown, isolated country house. What follows is an intense, often darkly comedic, interrogation as Teddy tries to "break" Michelle and prove his wild theories, while Michelle insists she's just a regular human CEO. Teddy even shaves her head, believing aliens use their hair to communicate – talk about dedication to a conspiracy!
Get ready for Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia! Emma Stone stars as a CEO kidnapped by conspiracy theorists in this dark, twisted comedy. Discover the plot, cast, release dates, and wild marketing.
The Star-Studded Cast Bringing This Twisted Tale to Life
Beyond the magnetic pairing of Stone and Lanthimos, Bugonia boasts a killer cast that's sure to deliver some unforgettable performances:
- Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller, the CEO suspected of being an alien.
- Jesse Plemons as Teddy, the unwashed, unwell, conspiracy-obsessed kidnapper.
- Aidan Delbis as Don, Teddy's sweet-natured, autistic cousin who gets dragged into the scheme.
- Stavros Halkias (known from Let’s Start a Cult) in an undisclosed role.
- Alicia Silverstone (from The Lodge) appears in surreal black-and-white flashbacks as Teddy's sickly mother.
Lanthimos directs from a screenplay penned by Will Tracy, who also gave us the darkly satirical The Menu. The film is produced by a notable team including Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Miky Lee, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, Lanthimos himself, Stone, and Lars Knudsen.
In her most recent movie, Bugonia, Emma Stone plays a role that is extremely different from what she usually does. She also has a drastic hair change that everyone is talking about.
More Than Just a Remake: A Cynical Look at Society
If the plot sounds a little familiar, that's because Bugonia is an English-language remake of Jang Joon-Hwan's 2003 South Korean genre-bender, Save the Green Planet! But Lanthimos puts his own signature "deranged American life in 2025" twist on it, heavily leaning into themes of online conspiracy rabbit holes and a damning satirical reflection on capitalism.
Critics who've seen it at festivals note its boldness in tackling a "power-hungry society gone awry" and a "grotesquely ugly world capitalism has created." As one reviewer from Fantastic Fest put it, the film "goes beyond crowd-pleasing 'eat the rich' narratives for a more cynical prognosis about humanity’s future." This isn't just about aliens; it's about what we believe, why we believe it, and who benefits from our paranoia.
"Sickos will get a kick out of this one, and I say that lovingly. The final moments (which I won’t dare spoil) are so delightfully morbid that I was almost willing to forget any qualms I had."
— Chris Evangelista, /Film
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Performances That Will Keep You Hooked (and Uneasy)
Even for those who found the film's "cruelty" or "scattered" nature a bit much, the performances are consistently praised. Emma Stone, as expected, delivers a masterful portrayal of Michelle, juggling victimhood with an icy ambiguity that makes you wonder if Teddy might just be onto something. Jesse Plemons, however, is being hailed as the "real star," inhabiting the grimy, intense Teddy with a "ferocious intensity" that's hard to look away from. Aidan Delbis, an autistic actor playing an autistic character, brings a "documentary calmness" to Don, acting as a kind of moral compass in the midst of the chaos.
The film is described as a "twisted battle of wits" between Stone and Plemons, amplified by a "deliberately chaotic, thundering musical score" from Jerskin Fendrik. Lanthimos also brings back his signature stylistic choices – fishbowl lenses, peculiar characters, and abrupt music – which, while sometimes criticized, are undeniably effective in creating Bugonia's unique, uneasy atmosphere.
Mark Your Calendars: When and Where to Catch Bugonia
Ready to dive into this wild cinematic experience? Bugonia will first have a special limited engagement starting on October 24, 2025. If you miss that, don't fret! A wide expansion will follow shortly after on October 31, 2025, just in time for some Halloween-season thrills. The runtime is a brisk 120 minutes, or two hours, keeping the tension tight.
Want to get even deeper into the film's lore? Check out the in-universe "Human Resistance HQ" website. It's got that old-school internet vibe and spins conspiracy theories around Stone's character and the Andromedans. You might even find sign-ups for advanced screenings there!
Your Burning Questions About Bugonia, Answered!
- Dailyfly News: See the new trailer for 'Bugonia' starring Emma Stone
- Time Out: Bugonia review
- ScifiNow: Bugonia Review: Yorgos Lanthimos's Update On Save The Green Planet! Is A Claustrophobic Genre-Bender
- /Film: Bugonia Review: Jesse Plemons Tries To Break Emma Stone In Yorgos Lanthimos' Twisted Comedy
- IGN: Bugonia Exclusive Clip | IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025
- 48 Hills: Score a pass to see Yorgos Lánthimos’ latest, ‘Bugonia’
- Marie Claire: (Unpublished link from context, but contains info on Emma Stone's premiere outfit for Bugonia)
- Dread Central: (Unpublished link from context, but contains information about the Human Resistance HQ website and Fantastic Fest review)