Bugonia (2025) is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, featuring a screenplay by Will Tracy and Jang Joon-hwan. It stars Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. The film follows Teddy (Pelmons), a conspiracy theorist, who, along with his autistic cousin Don (Delbis), kidnaps Michelle (Stone), a high-level corporate CEO whom he is convinced is an alien intent on destroying Earth. As Michelle denies his claims, Teddy becomes more desperate to prove her alien heritage. As Michelle uses her superior, almost soulless intelligence to manipulate her captors, the audience is forced to contend with the possibility that Teddy’s theories just might hold some weight… Or do they?

Plemons and Stone are unsurprisingly impressive in the lead roles. They succeed in being characters we can’t decide whether to root for or despise. They’re either just cold or stupid enough to hate, but also human or sympathetic enough to root for. They’re both at the top of their game here, but the true star is Lanthimos as a director. He masterfully manipulates the viewer’s feelings about these characters in ways that consistently reframe their past behavior. Even when the plot becomes predictable, the emotions it ushers are always unexpected. The enjoyment of the film is less about what happens and more about how we feel about what happens. It’s rare to feel this sickened and compelled in equal measure by both captor and captive.

Although the film still contains the occasional abstract touch, this is easily Lanthimos’s most accessible film. However, I only mean that in terms of storytelling technique, not subject matter/content. There are so many moments that are much darker and meaner than I was expecting, which is kind of wild considering the director’s other films. It’s often visceral, sickening, and more disturbing than most films that place themselves firmly within the horror genre. The script does a fantastic job of consistently ramping up the tension on both a personal and cosmic level. Even if the alien stuff turns out to be complete BS, the personal stakes are enough to keep the viewer engaged. In moments when the two become less sympathetic, the cosmic stakes take center stage, making us believe that their radical behavior might be somewhat justified. 

Although the film’s ending is sure to be divisive, it effectively reframes our feelings about past events and reveals, solidifying its nihilistic view of human life. It’s incredibly dark, but it feels like more of a necessary warning as opposed to a jaded criticism. There’re sure to be many different readings of this ending, but that’s sort of its beauty. It’s ripe for discussion in the way the great endings typically are, but grounded enough to work for those who don’t really wish to analyze it on a deeper level. 

Overall, this is a consistently compelling, but not always easy watch. It’s far more of a horror film than a comedy or a thriller, often sickening the viewer more than exciting them. That being said, the film achieves precisely what it sets out to do (which isn’t always easy to watch). It’s one of the better-acted films of the year so far, and should easily earn Lanthimos another Best Director nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. He’s always been a master of style, but here he proves to be a master of audience manipulation as well. Its themes are also scarily relevant to the point where even if you don’t particularly like the film, there’s still a good chance you’ll get something out of it. Just remember, this isn’t an experience that’s for the faint of heart. Other than Bring Her Back, this is one of the most disturbing experiences of 2025. It’s a great film, just not for the faint of heart. B+