Bugonia
BFI LFF 2025 Gala: Yorgos Lanthimos gives us another disturbingly compelling film
Sijung Lee:
A truly deranged film, Bugonia is based on a crazy consipracy theory that matches Yorgos Lanthimos’ aesthetic. Emma Stone brings to life a unique character that only she could fully portray, leading a great cast. The film is ridiculously confusing and cruel; one scene you’re laughing, then horrifyingly disgusted in the next. Bluntness and casual dark humour are what this film relies on, creating a surprisingly realistic fictional world that the audience is sucked into. While Bugonia isn’t for the weak-hearted, perhaps it will be appreciated more by those who are unafraid of bees.
David Latimer:
Do you feel a sense of purpose in being part of something bigger? Yorgos strikes back in this deranged picture on echo-chamber thinking and higher calling. But, like many of Yorgos’ works, these themes are just a backdrop to a surrealist tale, all framed in his addicting style. Dripping with liminality, Bugonia presents a radicalised conspiracy theorist who kidnaps the CEO of the company he works for, convinced she’s an alien sent to sabotage us. Our self-destructive nature is explored and well performed by Yorgos’ favourite action figures, Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone, who both give stunning performances.
Science Fiction/Thriller
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Screenwriter: Will Tracy
Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone
Run time: 120 min
Release date: 31/10/2025
