Following the critical acclaim and box office success of The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness, director Yorgos Lanthimos and actress Emma Stone join forces for a third time this time to collaborate on a bizarre, genre-defying sci-fi black comedy called Bugonia. A warped reinterpretation of the 2003 South Korean cult hit Save the Green Planet!
The movie opened at the Venice Film Festival on August 28 and will play in a limited release on October 24, expanding to a wide release on October 31.
A Daring Concept with a Darkly Humorous Twist
In Bugonia, Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller, a dominant CEO who is the target of two conspiracy-ridden young men (played by Jesse Plemons and newcomer Aidan Delbis). Believing she is an extraterrestrial sent to destroy the planet, the two abduct her, shave her head to stop “mothership communication,” and lock her away in an underground bunker. The offbeat premise plays out with the quirky tone typical of Lanthimos’ approach, mixing absurdity with psychological unease.
The cast also features Alicia Silverstone and comedian Stavros Halkias, both adding to the darkly comedic world of the film.
Creative Powerhouse Behind the Scenes
The script is by Will Tracy (Succession), with an all-star production team behind it including Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Miky Lee, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, Lanthimos, and Stone herself. The international ensemble production ensures a visually creative and thematically complex cinematic experience.
The trailer, which landed on the same day the Venice premiere, boasts a new, striking look for Stone and opens to Chappell Roan’s viral song Good Luck, Babe!. The song reinforces the film’s campy yet queasy vibe and picks up on the uncanny tension between captor and captive.
Art Imitates Life in Lanthimos’ Dystopia
Lanthimos and Stone both explained the film’s themes at the Venice press conference. “Unfortunately, not much of the dystopia in this film is very fictional,” Lanthimos said, referencing such concerns as AI, climate change, and conspiracy culture as inspiration. Stone added some lighthearted, earnest flair, confessing, “I’m coming out with it — I believe in aliens!”
A Genre-Bending Must-See This Fall
With its satirical bite, daring performances, and genre-bending narrative, Bugonia is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing films of the fall. Equal parts disturbing and hilarious, it’s a cinematic reflection of modern anxieties—served with Lanthimos’ signature weirdness.
