BUGONIA (2025) Review: Fantastic Fest 2025
"All that's been done to us...we're setting that right again."
Yorgos Lanthimos once again proves that no one captures absurdity and dread quite like him. Written by Will Tracy (The Menu), Bugonia blends social commentary, black humor, and tragedy into a story that feels both uncomfortably close to what our current reality is looking like these days.
Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis) are two conspiracy-obsessed brothers who convince themselves that Michelle (Emma Stone), the high-powered CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, is an alien sent to destroy Earth. For Teddy, the paranoia is personal as he works for her company packaging boxes, but his resentment runs deeper: his mother (Alicia Silverstone) became ill after using cancer drugs from Michelle’s company. Desperate for justice, Teddy is hoping to reach the “mother ship” and plead for humanity’s survival and Michelle, in his eyes, is the key to it all.
What unfolds is a chilling story where truth, delusion, and power shift constantly throughout. The dynamic between Plemons and Stone is mesmerizing, a dance of wit and vulnerability that feels like art in motion. Delbis, as Don, stands shoulder to shoulder with them, delivering a performance that is both tragic and endearing as the younger cousin pulled into Teddy’s spiraling obsession. Together, the trio creates a tactile energy that keeps you suspended between dread and awe.
Lanthimos frames the horror of conspiracy thinking with his signature blend of discomfort and beauty. The film is filled with moments that make you laugh nervously while some scenes are deeply unsettling. But I believe that unease is the point. The horror doesn't come from that aliens Teddy believes are real, but from how far grief, paranoia, and desperation can push human beings.
Bugonia is tragic, haunting, and beautiful. It takes the paranoia of our current world, wraps it in dark humor, and delivers something unforgettable. With exceptional performances and Lanthimos’ direction, it’s a film that unsettles more than I expected.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Note: This film was reviewed during Fantastic Fest 2025. It will hit theaters October 31, 2025.