Emma Stone returned to the spotlight at the Venice Film Festival with Bugonia, a darkly comic thriller that blends themes of conspiracy theories, internet echo chambers and human vulnerability with the surreal edge that has become director Yorgos Lanthimos’ hallmark. The film, one of the most talked-about premieres of the festival, is Stone’s fourth collaboration with the Greek auteur following The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness. Speaking at the launch, the two-time Oscar winner described the project as “fascinating, moving, funny, messed-up and alive.”
In Bugonia, Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a sharp and guarded pharmaceutical CEO who becomes the target of Teddy, a troubled young man portrayed by Jesse Plemons. Convinced that Fuller’s company is responsible for his mother’s illness and the collapse of bee populations, Teddy kidnaps her with the reluctant help of his cousin Don, played by newcomer Aidan Delbis. Much of the film unfolds in Teddy’s basement, where tense confrontations blur the line between captor and captive.
While Teddy is initially presented as paranoid and unstable, the narrative gradually reveals the traumas and convictions that fuel his actions. Plemons, who previously earned an Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog, said he was drawn to the role because it forced him to challenge preconceived notions about people on the margins of society. “He’s a tortured soul trying with all his might to help,” Plemons explained. “There’s a risk in writing people like him off as non-human, but they are, and they exist.”
Critics have praised the performances, with Screen Daily highlighting the “battle of wits” between Stone’s poised CEO and Plemons’ erratic but layered kidnapper. The film’s accessibility has also been noted, with some suggesting that despite Lanthimos’ trademark darkness and gore, Bugonia may appeal to audiences who found his earlier films too extreme. The story uses its outlandish premise not only to thrill but to question how society responds to fringe beliefs and who gets to define truth.
Bugonia is loosely based on Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!, though Plemons admitted he avoided watching the original to approach his character without outside influence. For Stone, the project continues a remarkable run with Lanthimos that has already delivered one Oscar-winning role. At Venice, their latest film is being hailed as both a gripping drama and a timely reflection of an era shaped by misinformation, mistrust, and the fragility of human connection.
