Introducing Bugonia: A New Absurdist Comedy from the Visionary Team Behind The Favourite and Poor Things
From the acclaimed duo of filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and actress/producer Emma Stone, known for their work on 2018’s The Favourite and 2023’s Poor Things, comes an exciting new film, Bugonia. This absurdist comedy made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 28 and continued to screen at the Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day weekend. I had the opportunity to view it at the Werner Herzog Theater on Saturday, and I believe that, much like The Favourite and Poor Things, Bugonia is poised to be a significant contender during the awards season—especially in contrast to the more understated Kinds of Kindness.
Adapted by Will Tracy, a former editor at The Onion and writer for Succession and The Menu, Bugonia draws inspiration from the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. The story follows two eccentric American cousins, played by Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis. One cousin is a conspiracy theorist who “does his own research,” while the other gets pulled into a wild scheme to kidnap a corporate giant, portrayed by Emma Stone. They believe she is an alien bent on Earth’s destruction. As a large-scale search for the CEO unfolds, the tension mounts between the captors and the captive, who finds herself chained in their basement. The story escalates as the abductors grow increasingly threatening, racing against time towards a lunar eclipse, which they believe will reveal her true intentions.
In a world grappling with social isolation, misinformation, and the rise of conspiratorial thinking, the plot of Bugonia feels alarmingly relevant. While it shares elements with shows like The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, it also resonates with classic dark social satires such as Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Network (1976). Emma Stone noted during a post-screening Q&A that Network, once viewed as sensationalist, now feels eerily prophetic 50 years later.
With its sharp commentary and unique storytelling, I anticipate that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will recognize Bugonia, which Focus Features is set to release in U.S. theaters on October 24. The Academy has become more open to genre films, as seen with the Oscar acknowledgments of The Shape of Water (2017), Parasite (2019), and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). Regardless of the outcomes in other categories, I am confident that both Emma Stone, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner for La La Land and Poor Things, and Jesse Plemons, a nominee for The Power of the Dog (2021), will receive well-deserved nominations for their compelling performances, which showcase incredible dedication and leave a lasting impact on audiences.
Stay tuned for Bugonia, a film that promises to challenge perceptions while delivering laughter and thought-provoking commentary.
