Bugonia

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Yorgos Lanthimos directs. Robbie Ryan behind the camera. Jerskin Fendrix scores. Yorgos Mavropsaridis cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Ireland, South Korea, United States of America, Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Mid-budget at $55M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
• 2Earned back only 79% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 3Released last year.
• 4International production across 4 countries: Ireland, South Korea, United States of America, Canada.
• 5214+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
• 6Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, shot by Robbie Ryan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 7Original score by Jerskin Fendrix. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 8Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 9Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis carry the top of the cast.
• 10Marketing tagline: "Of all the abductions, this one is different.".
• 11IMDB entry: tt12300742 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 12Classified under 24 themes, including "saving the world", "capitalism", "kidnapping", "paranoia".
• 13Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Robbie Ryan

Original score

Jerskin Fendrix

Editing

Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Production design

James Price

Costume design

Jennifer Johnson

Makeup / hair

Liz Phillips

VFX supervisor

Nick Irving Allen

Sound

Johnnie Burn

Stunt coordinator

Nikki Berwick

Runtime

119 min · 1h 59m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$55,000,000

Box office

$43,500,000

Return

79% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Bugonia (2025) ↗

Also by

Yorgos Lanthimos

• 
  Poor Things

  2023 · ★ 7.6
• 
  The Favourite

  2018 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Dogtooth

  2009 · ★ 7.0
• 
  The Lobster

  2015 · ★ 7.0
• 
  The Killing of a Sacred Deer

  2017 · ★ 7.0
• 
  Nimic

  2020 · ★ 6.6

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  The Night of the Lunar Eclipse

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  A Police Officer Makes an Unexpected Visit to Teddy’s Place

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  The Moment a CEO is Kidnapped

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Will Tracy on Writing BUGONIA | AFI Conservatory

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Yorgos Lanthimos on BUGONIA and Working with Editor Yorgos “Blackfish” Mavropsaridis

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  "We Have Created Something Extraordinary" - Bonus Feature

  Behind the Scenes · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Manuel São Bento2025-10-10
  ★ 6/10

  FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/bugonia-review/ "Bugonia functions primarily as a stage for the memorable performances of Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone, who carry the movie with intensity and charisma. Although Yorgos Lanthimos maintains his cohesive visual style and the tonal balance between black comedy and violence, the discursive and predictable approach to its central themes — humanity, corruption, paranoia, inequality — prevents it from achieving the complex resonance of his best films. Something didn't quite click in the narrative execution, but it remains a peculiar and entertaining experience, albeit with a short-lived thematic impact. It leaves us with the message that, sometimes, the most fearsome monsters don't come from space, but rather from the reflection we find in the mirror." Rating: B-

  Read full review ↓
• Brent Marchant2025-11-01
  ★ 9/10

  In an age where distinguishing what’s genuine on its surface from something that’s clandestinely veiled, it may be difficult to know what to believe. As a result, we might give up and disregard making any attempt to identify inherent (and potentially significant) differences. Or, by contrast, we may become so obsessed with reconciling such matters that we descend into a sea of paranoid conspiracy theories, potentially seeing them at every turn and placing us on the sidelines of reality with no credibility to our names. In actuality, the “truth” probably resides somewhere in between, but where and how do we draw the lines of accurate and meaningful distinction? Those are the considerations continually raised and examined in this new dark comedy/fable from director Yorgos Lanthimos in which a pair of intellectually challenged cousins, Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis), kidnap the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), believing that she’s an alien from Andromeda who’s quietly but determined to seek the destruction of mankind. But is their contention legitimate or the ravings of delusional madmen? The narrative continually vacillates in each direction, especially when the cousins’ captive employs some skillful psychological warfare to throw them off their game and undermine their confidence in their claim. In any event, this unlikely trio has an impending deadline of four days – the time before the alleged arrival of the Andromedan mother ship in connection with the next lunar eclipse – to resolve matters, a challenge made difficult by the emergence of several distracting subplots and the impact of Michelle’s gamesmanship on her captors’ plans. And, as the picture plays out, it raises intriguing questions about corporate motivations, unbridled greed, the sincerity (or lack thereof) behind public health initiatives, environmental degradation (particularly involving the welfare of bees and the role of colony collapse disorder (CCD)) and the true nature of Earth’s ancient past. It all makes for an intriguing mix of influences that never fails to captivate, an attribute made stronger by the fine, award-worthy performances of the three principals, a smartly penned screenplay, intriguingly clever special effects and an edgy, dramatic original score. A few pacing issues crop up at times, and several incidents of graphic violence may be more than what sensitive viewers can handle. But, those minor considerations aside, “Bugonia” is the first stellar awards season release to appear in this year’s movie marketplace and yet another brilliant work from Lanthimos, arguably one of the hottest directors in the business these days. This decidedly quirky offering probably won’t appeal to everyone, and viewers may not come away from it with any greater sense of clarity in terms of how to distinguish truth from deliberately concealed fiction. But, if nothing else, it gives us all much to think about as we attempt – no matter how successfully or futilely – to figure out what’s really going on in our world and what we might be able to do about it.

  Read full review ↓
• misubisu2025-11-07
  ★ 5/10

  Bugonia 2025 Review: A Promising Descent into Disappointment Bugonia 2025 begins with immense promise, weaving a tapestry of atmospheric dread and human emotion that is utterly captivating. For its first two acts, it’s a masterclass in slow-burn suspense, anchored by a powerfully raw and believable central performance. The story of a lonely farmer’s growing, obsessive connection with a mysterious, otherworldly woman is portrayed with such grounded sincerity that you are completely drawn into its haunting, melancholic world. The cinematography is all muted tones and wide, isolating landscapes, and the score hums with a tension that feels both intimate and cosmic. In this stretch, the film flirts with greatness. However, a film is judged by its whole, and Bugonia 2025 suffers a catastrophic third-act collapse from which it never recovers. The pivotal moment—the revelation that the enigmatic woman is, in fact, a literal alien—is where the delicate spell is broken. Instead of leaning into the chilling, biological horror or profound existential wonder the premise suggested, the film veers sharply into the realm of the absurd. The carefully built tension dissipates into a cloud of silliness, culminating in the disastrous reveal of the Andromedans themselves. Gone is any sense of menace or awe, replaced by antagonists that look like they stumbled out of a low-budget 1970s sci-fi pantomime, clad in inexplicably bulky, knitted one-piece outfits that inspire more laughter than fear. Their spacecraft interior, which should be the pinnacle of the film's design, feels like a cheap studio set, utterly betraying the gritty realism so painstakingly established earlier. The Verdict 5 out of 10 – A Tale of Two Movies Bugonia 2025 is a frustrating paradox: a film that demonstrates a profound understanding of mood and character in its first half, only to abandon that subtlety for a climax of bafflingly poor execution. The final act doesn't feel like a payoff; it feels like a betrayal of the intelligent, atmospheric story that came before it. It’s a cinematic Jekyll and Hyde experience, leaving you with the lingering disappointment of what could have been, rather than the satisfaction of a story well told. You leave not haunted by its themes, but bewildered by its choices. Watch it if: You appreciate strong acting and atmospheric building, and don't mind a film that falls apart spectacularly in its final act. Skip it if: You require a coherent and satisfying payoff to your sci-fi mysteries. The journey, while initially compelling, ultimately leads to a dead end of disbelief.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Element Pictures

  IE

• 

  Square Peg

  US

• 

  Fremantle

  US

• PI

  Pith Quest Films

  CA

• 

  Fruit Tree

  US

• 

  CJ ENM

  KR

Key crew

• Original Film WriterJang Joon-hwan
• ProducerAndrew Lowe
• ProducerEd Guiney
• Title DesignerVasilis Marmatakis
• ProducerYorgos Lanthimos
• Graphic DesignerVasilis Marmatakis
• EditorYorgos Mavropsaridis
• ProducerEmma Stone
• Sound DesignerJohnnie Burn
• CastingJennifer Venditti
• Hair SupervisorLiz Phillips
• Makeup TraineeErin Wheatland
• Concept ArtistAntonio Niculae
• Additional Still PhotographerAli Bell
• Best Boy ElectricMilo Smyth
• Storyboard ArtistRachel Garlick
• Stunt DoubleAlexander Bracq
• Stunt CoordinatorNikki Berwick
• Lighting TechnicianNathan Porter
• Key GripDuncan Steven
• Still PhotographerAtsushi Nishijima
• Graphic DesignerBetty Woodhouse
• Graphic DesignerSophie Powell
• Rigging GafferTony Goulding

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• saving the world
• capitalism
• kidnapping
• paranoia
• delusion
• symbolism
• dark comedy
• satire
• alien
• remake
• extraterrestrial
• alien invasion
• power politics
• mental illness
• hierarchy
• global threat
• absurdism
• political conflict
• alien conspiracy
• ecologism
• social critique
• excited
• comedy horror
• vistavision

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2025-08-30· Telluride Film Festival
• Premiere2025-10-08· Beyond Fest
• Premiere2025-10-05· Mill Valley Film Festival
• Premiere2025-10-16· Chicago International Film Festival
• Premiere2025-09-22· Fantastic Fest
• Premiere2025-10-18· FocusFest / Montclair Film Festival / Philadelphia Film Festival
• Premiere2025-10-22· AFI Fest / Twin Cities Film Fest
• Premiere2025-10-17· Woodstock Film Festival
• Theatrical (limited)2025-10-24R
• Theatrical2025-10-31R

Also known as

International titles

• Save the Green Planet!US
• ԲուգոնիաAM
• БуґоніяUA
• 拯救地球CN
• 부고니아KR
• ΒουγονίαGR
• La BugoniaCA
• 暴蜂尼亞HK
• บูโกเนียTH
• БугонияRU
• БугонијаRS
• BugonijaLV
• بوغونياSA
• بوگونیاIR
• בוגוניהIL