November 5, 2025
Teddy (Jesse Plemons) believed that Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of giant pharmaceutical company Auxolith, was an alien of the Andromedan species which was out to destroy the Earth. He was able to convince his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to help him abduct Michelle and hold her hostage in the basement of his house. Teddy believed that the Andromedans will be entering Earth in four days during a lunar eclipse.
"Bugonia" was a hard-hitting dark satirical comedy film by director Yorgos Lanthimos, in the vein of "The Favourite" (2018) and "Poor Things" (2023). I was surprised to learn that this new film was actually a remake of a South Korean film entitled "Save the Green Planet" (2003). The original screenplay written by director Jang Joon-hwan was adapted into the American setting by Will Tracy, who wrote "The Menu" (2022) and TV series "Succession," satires both.
This was a very uncomfortable watch from beginning to end, as it involved taking advantage of a mentally-challenged individual and acts of violence against a woman, all in the name of apparently delusional conspiracy theories of one very emotionally-disturbed individual. Teddy and Michelle were both unlikable characters as written, and as twistedly portrayed by Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone (who really had her hair shaved off). As both of them played off each other wickedly at full blast, award noms are surely forthcoming.
The only sympathetic character here was the impressionable, neurodivergent young man Don. Aidan Delbis, who describes himself as autistic, was only a 17-year old high school student when he was cast for his first major feature film role, based on the audition tape he submitted. The way he was being talked down to and manipulated was very painful to watch. This connection we felt with Don made what happens to him in this film so sad as it was shocking.
The mysterious title was not explained, nor even mentioned, in the film. The Ancient Greek word "bugonia" refers to the belief that bees can develop out of a cow carcass. Bees and their colony collapse disorders was a recurring theme in the film. Teddy, being a beekeeper, believed that Michelle was behind the dwindling population of bees. Bees was a metaphor for the fragile state of Earth's environment as a result of human irresponsibility.
The ending is really the biggest gamble of the story, especially for those who have not seen the original film yet. Lanthimos was able to spring the twist on his audience effectively, even as the film became even more bizarre in terms of production and costume design. Then comes a final five-minute montage of human mortality set to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" sung by Marlene Dietrich. When will we ever learn, indeed? 8/10
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