Saagar Kote
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, ‘Bugonia’ is the twisted tale of a CEO named Michelle Fuller, who gets dragged into a complex situation. Running a rich company, she finds her life taking a sudden turn when she is kidnapped by two young men, Teddy and Don, who are somehow convinced that she is an actual alien who is secretly living on Earth to destroy it. Obsessed with conspiracy theories, the two men lock up the businesswoman and try to get her to confess that she is not human and that her loyalty is towards extraterrestrials.
As the chaotic situation develops, the mystery deepens, and the lives of all three main characters take interesting turns. The narrative is accompanied by unique visual choices, claustrophobic confrontations, and obsessive characters, as well as larger social themes of justice and liberty. The absurdist black comedy film, in complex ways, deals with ideas of delusion, conspiracy, truth, corporate interests, and human fragility.
Bugonia Sheds Light on the Complexities of Conspiracy Theories
Written for the screen by Will Tracy, ‘Bugonia’ deals with the intricacies of the human. Based on the South Korean film ‘Save the Green Planet!’ or ‘Jigureul jikyeora!,’ it deals with the chaos caused by the actions of two men who risk it all due to their deeply held beliefs, primarily shaped by conspiracy theories. Although the story, characters, and premise are fictional, the narrative delves into the world of conspiracy theories and theorists. In reality, conspiracy theories have been a fascinating part of human society for years. Conspiracy theories, propagated by conspiracy theorists, look at alternative explanations to established facts. This ultimately influences others, who are convinced that the publicly acknowledged truth is not the actual truth.
To this day, conspiracy theories have led to debates about the truth of Apollo 11’s landing on the Moon and the reality of 9/11. One of the most prominent examples is the Flat Earth Society, a conspiracy theory group that believes that the planet is flat. Although conspiracy theories may seem unscientific and absurd to most people, there are those who become strongly influenced by them. The characters of Teddy and Don reflect this reality of the world, where people are indoctrinated into conspiracy theory groups, leading to significant changes in their lives. The film examines how a strong belief in such theories can motivate individuals to engage in dangerous acts. Teddy shows that he is, in fact, truly convinced about Michelle’s alien origins, which makes him kidnap her.
Teddy also cuts off Michelle’s hair, believing it would prevent her from establishing contact with her “mothership.” Despite the CEO insisting that she is not an alien, the two young men show signs of obsession with their beliefs. Jesse Plemons, who portrays Teddy in the film, said, “I have a conspiracy theory…that we’re all conspiracy theorists in some ways. We’re all influenced in unconscious ways. You know, for most of us, it’s just like, “Buy this! Buy that! You need this! You need that!”. And so it’s just that [my character] Teddy is an extreme! But yeah, we’re all subject to it!” The complexities of the characters are brought to the forefront by the narrative. Yorgos, the director of the film, said that he learnt about conspiracy theorists like Bob Lazar.
Talking about conspiracy theories, he stated, “The funny thing is, some of them are also real. People do construct lies. I mean, a lot! Especially now with technology and as AI advances, it’s so difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not.” ‘Bugonia’ serves as a commentary on the reality of the contemporary world, where technology and communication have led to an overload of information, making it difficult for people to distinguish between reality and fantasy. The filmmaker also opined that he was fascinated by conspiracy theories related to aliens. He also views the film as a reflection of the state of the world, as it asks direct questions about issues. Ultimately, it can be said that ‘Bugonia’ is an unusual exploration of the social pursuit of truth in a world where reality is often questioned.
The Narrative of Bugonia is Partly Based on a South Korean Film
‘Bugonia’ is a remake of the South Korean film ‘Save the Green Planet!’ by Jang Joon-hwan, which also deals with a similar premise. In the original work, a delusional man named Byeong-gu, believing aliens from the Andromeda planet will invade Earth, kidnaps pharmaceutical executive Kang Man-shik. Kang is held captive and subjected to bizarre tests by Byeong-gu, who sees himself as Earth’s sole savior. Byeong-gu, with his innocent girlfriend Su-ni, believes Kang is an alien commander who can contact the Andromedan prince during a lunar eclipse. The premise of ‘Bugonia’ resembles the world of the original South Korean film. Although the film offers a more modern take on the subject, it draws inspiration from the original work.
The idea for the remake reportedly originated from Ari Aster, one of the movie’s producers, who requested that writer Will Tracy give the Korean film an American twist by swapping the genders of the characters. Talking about the differences between the American and Korean versions, Yorgos told Dazed, “I watched the film once after reading Will’s script, to make sure we weren’t just doing the same thing in English.” The filmmaker claimed that he never thought much about the original film after watching it once, which was also the case for writer Will Tracy. In conclusion, it can be said that the film is a modern interpretation of the Korean film, possessing its own voice and unique perception of reality.
The Story is Inherently a Commentary on Corporate Control of Human Behavior
One of the most captivating angles ‘Bugonia’ explores is the notion that corporate entities influence human behavior. The conspiracy-obsessed men in the film believe that the corporate system is similar to the system of honeybees, where ordinary bees follow the lead of the queen bee. A comparison is made to the reality of the world, where, according to the characters, people are controlled by corporate executives. This can be touted as a significant reason behind the kidnapping of the CEO, who is seen as an alien who represents corporate interests that are leading to dangerous consequences for humanity. It was Yorgos’ decision to call the film “Bugonia,” as the term has its origins in a Greek word that refers to a belief that bees are born from the body of a dead ox. The deaths of ordinary people are compared to the deaths of ordinary bees, whereas the queen bees continue to survive.
During a Q&A session at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2025, Emma Stone expressed that the plot of Bugonia bears resemblances to the real-life case of the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. On December 4, 2024, Thompson was fatally shot by a masked assailant outside a hotel. Five days later, Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate with anti-corporate sentiments, was arrested and charged with multiple counts, including murder. It has been alleged that Mangione carried out the murder due to his anger against health insurance companies in the US.
Touching on it, Emma stated, “What’s really crazy, after we had shot the film – I live in New York – we heard someone was shot up the street. It was a healthcare CEO. You know, because Luigi. You guys heard about this? It was wild, because we had all just been in a basement (filming) together talking about these issues and the bigger meaning of everything. It keeps hitting you that the world is so deeply fraught and terrifying in so many ways.” In all, ‘Bugonia’ is driven by an entertaining and unique premise that also looks at social morality and reality in unsettling yet relevant ways.
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