Underplayed Gems

Bugonia (2025)

Bugonia poster
Directed by
Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre
comedy film, science fiction film, thriller film, black comedy film
Country
South Korea, United States, Ireland
Runtime
1h 58m
Rated
R
Rating
7.3 of 10 from 2,117 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

Two young men kidnap a powerful CEO because they believe she is an alien planning to destroy Earth. The film follows their interrogation and her attempts to convince them otherwise.

suspensefulparanoiddarkly comictensetwistyabsurdoffbeat

What happens

Bugonia is a 2025 black comedy thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Will Tracy. An English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan, the film follows two young men who kidnap a powerful CEO, suspecting that she is secretly an alien who wants to destroy Earth. A co-production of the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, and the United States, the film stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. Development began in 2020, with Jang attached to direct, Will Tracy adapting the screenplay, and Ari Aster boarding as producer. Jang stepped down as director, citing health concerns, but remained an executive producer. By February 2024, Lanthimos was hired, while Stone joined as an actress and producer. Plemons joined that May, and the film was soon acquired by Focus Features for distribution at the Cannes Film Festival. Principal photography began in July in High Wycombe, England, and Atlanta, Georgia, and during which time the rest of the cast was announced. Additional filming took place in May 2025 in Milos, Greece. With an estimated budget of $45–55 million, Bugonia is Lanthimos's most expensive film. Bugonia premiered in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025, and was theatrically released in the United States by Focus Features on October 24. It received generally positive reviews, particularly for Stone and Plemons. Both received nominations for their performances at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards and the 32nd Actor Awards. At the 98th Academy Awards, it received four nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress for Stone. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.