In Theaters: Bugonia (2025) by Yorgos Lanthimos: A Darkly Absurd Fable of Paranoia, Power, and Human Delusion

A Surreal Allegory of Fear and Control in the Modern World

In Bugonia, visionary director Yorgos Lanthimos returns with another provocative blend of satire, horror, and absurdist humor. The film follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap Michelle, the high-powered CEO of a major tech corporation, convinced she’s an alien planning to destroy humanity.

What begins as a misguided mission to “save Earth” spirals into a surreal and philosophical power struggle about truth, faith, and human self-deception. As the lines blur between captors and captive, Lanthimos exposes the absurdity of modern paranoia — where misinformation, ideology, and fear mutate into violence.

Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and newcomer Aidan Delbis, Bugonia combines biting social commentary with stunning cinematography and a hypnotic score by Jerskin Fendrix. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, earning 2 wins and 3 nominations, including praise for its direction, screenplay, and performances.

Why to Recommend Movie — Paranoia, Power, and Humanity Unraveled

• Unpredictable storytelling: Every act subverts expectations, shifting from dark comedy to sci-fi thriller to philosophical satire.The film dares you to laugh — right before making you question why you did.

• Career-defining performances: Jesse Plemons delivers one of his most haunting roles to date, while Emma Stone radiates icy intelligence and emotional complexity.

• A reflection of our times: It dissects conspiracy culture, tech worship, and mistrust in authority with Lanthimos’ trademark absurd precision.

• Visually spellbinding: Shot on 35mm film, each frame oscillates between beauty and menace, creating a world both real and alien.

• Perfect for fans of cerebral cinema: It’s an experience that blends dread, dark humor, and social critique — designed to be debated long after it ends.

What is the Trend Followed — Modern Absurdist Allegory Meets Tech Paranoia

Bugonia embodies the growing techno-absurdist satire trend in contemporary cinema, exploring humanity’s fear of technology and truth through surreal humor.

• Conspiracy realism: Echoes the rise of digital misinformation and how paranoia becomes identity.

• Philosophical sci-fi: Reflects a cultural appetite for genre films that double as existential parables (Poor Things, Everything Everywhere All at Once).

• Alien metaphors for humanity: The idea of “inhuman” leaders mirrors societal fears of corporate detachment and digital alienation.

• Stylized satire: Like Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, it hides political critique beneath absurd comedy and pristine visual order.

In Summary — What the “Bugonia” Plot Represents

Element	Trend Connection	Implication
Conspiracy kidnappers	Reflect rise of “folk paranoia” and post-truth subcultures	Society’s distrust of institutions has gone mainstream
Young female CEO	Symbol of modern “techno-corporate elite”	Power is younger, polished, but equally opaque
Alien metaphor	Corporate dehumanization and moral estrangement	The elite as “otherworldly” moral force
Dark comedy tone	Absurdism as emotional realism	Humor is the new tool to explore societal dread

Director’s Vision — Lanthimos Blends Humor, Horror, and Humanity

• Existential humor: Lanthimos wields absurdity as truth — his characters reveal more through irrational acts than reasoned speech.

• Symmetry and chaos: His visuals are perfectly composed, but the emotions within them unravel like nightmares in slow motion.

• Human cruelty with compassion: Beneath the satire lies a painful empathy for people lost in their delusions.

• Collaborative synergy: Reuniting with Emma Stone, Lanthimos pushes their creative partnership to new emotional and conceptual heights.

• Controlled absurdity: His tone oscillates between dry wit and dread, forcing audiences to confront discomfort as insight.

Themes — Truth, Manipulation, and the Human Condition

• The search for meaning: The characters’ obsession with finding purpose mirrors humanity’s desperate need for control in chaos.

• Faith in falsehoods: Explores how conspiracy becomes religion when reality feels too fragile.

• The illusion of progress: Critiques corporate power and the myth that innovation equals salvation.

• Control and submission: Examines how belief systems — religious, political, or digital — enslave those who create them.

• Alienation as identity: The “alien” becomes a metaphor for otherness, fear, and the refusal to understand the unfamiliar.

Key Success Factors — Performance, Concept, and Cinematic Precision

• Bold performances: Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone command the screen with tension-filled chemistry.

• Conceptual depth: The film balances social satire with philosophical reflection.

• Visual excellence: Cinematographer Robbie Ryan crafts a palette that feels both sterile and surreal.

• Unique tone: The blend of dry humor and existential terror is distinctively Lanthimos.

• Cultural timing: Its themes of paranoia and misinformation resonate powerfully in the post-truth era.

Awards & Nominations — Festival Triumph and Critical Praise

Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival, Bugonia won 2 major awards and received 3 additional nominations, including Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Jesse Plemons. It was hailed as one of Lanthimos’ boldest works since The Favourite, securing its place in festival conversations across Europe and North America.

Critics Reception — Dark, Daring, and Deeply Lanthimos

• The Guardian: Called it “Lanthimos at his sharpest — a delirious blend of paranoia and poetry.”

• IndieWire: Praised its “bold tonal shifts and immaculate visual storytelling.”

• Variety: Admired its “brutal humor and biting critique of modern delusion.”

• The Hollywood Reporter: Highlighted its “claustrophobic energy and disorienting intimacy.”

Summary: Critics laud Bugonia as both a return to Lanthimos’ dark absurdism and an evolution toward emotional immediacy. It’s divisive — some find it overly cerebral — but universally respected for ambition and craft.

Reviews — Polarizing but Unforgettable

• Rotten Tomatoes: Strong critic approval for originality and performances, though viewers note its deliberate pacing.

• Letterboxd: Audience reactions range from admiration to confusion, reflecting its philosophical density.

• Metacritic: A solid 68 score, reflecting critical acclaim with mild audience division.

Summary: Viewers find Bugonia intellectually stimulating and visually captivating, though its ambiguity makes it more conversation piece than crowd-pleaser.

Release Date on Streaming

• Streaming Premiere: Expected on Netflix in February 2026, following its awards run.

Theatrical Release

• World Premiere: October 31, 2025, at the Venice Film Festival.

• Wide Release: November 7, 2025, in major international markets.

Movie Trend — Surrealist Tech-Satire and Modern Alienation

Bugonia defines the post-human absurdist trend, where alien myths and digital paranoia converge. It critiques how people project fear onto systems they no longer control — technology, media, and each other. The result is an unsettling mirror held up to modern civilization, both hilarious and horrifying.

Social Trend — The Paranoia Age and the Cult of Truth

The film taps into today’s social obsession with conspiracy, mistrust, and information overload. It mirrors how online culture turns fiction into faith and skepticism into identity. By exaggerating paranoia, Lanthimos exposes the emotional need behind modern irrationality — the desire to believe something, even if it’s wrong.

Final Verdict — A Darkly Comic Descent into Belief and Madness

Bugonia is a cerebral spectacle — a visually rich, philosophically daring study of belief, control, and absurdity in the digital age. Lanthimos delivers a film that’s part black comedy, part sci-fi fable, and entirely unsettling. With unforgettable performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, it cements itself as one of the year’s most audacious works.

Verdict: Wickedly smart, beautifully bizarre, and profoundly human — a masterpiece of paranoia and power that only Lanthimos could create.

Similar Movies — For Fans of Surrealism, Satire, and Psychological Tension

• The Lobster (2015) – Lanthimos’ surreal take on love, control, and conformity.

• Poor Things (2023) – Feminist fantasy meets grotesque absurdity.

• Save the Green Planet! (2003) – The Korean cult classic that inspired Bugonia’s premise.

• Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Satirical madness and bureaucratic apocalypse.

• Sorry to Bother You (2018) – Corporate absurdism with sharp political humor.

• Under the Skin (2013) – Alien identity as a lens for human cruelty.

• Network (1976) – A prophetic masterpiece on media, truth, and insanity.