'Emma Stone's new film Bugonia is the most unhinged thing I've seen all year.'

The latest from The Favourite and Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos has landed, and honestly? I'm not sure how I feel about it.

The film follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, convinced that she's an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. What unfolds is a twisted tale that taps into our current climate of conspiracy theories, corporate distrust, and paranoia, all filtered through Lanthimos' uniquely unsettling lens.

It's weird and intense, and that's exactly the kind of unhinged content I've come to expect from the director, who gave us Emma Stone eating pastries like a feral Victorian child.

Watch the trailer for Bugonia. Article continues after video.

Firstly… I love this cast.

Jesse Plemons is an absolute standout here, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's watched him steal scenes in everything from Breaking Bad to The Power of the Dog. There's something deeply unsettling about his ability to make you feel sympathy for characters who probably don't deserve it, and he brings that same energy here in spades.

Stone continues to prove she's one of the most fearless actors working today. After her transformative work in Poor Things, she once again throws herself completely into a role that demands both vulnerability and steel. Watching her navigate the psychological complexity of her character is genuinely masterful. And that is saying a lot because her character is grating — all corporate speak and buzzwords that make your skin crawl — but Stone manages to find these fleeting moments of humanity that make you empathise with her despite yourself.

But what's truly remarkable is watching newcomer Aidan Delbis command the screen alongside these seasoned performers.

Delbis, an autistic actor playing an autistic character, delivers a performance as Teddy's cousin Don that's nothing short of extraordinary. For a feature film debut, it's genuinely breathtaking work.

There's an honesty and depth to his portrayal that cuts straight through all the film's surreal elements — he grounds every scene he's in with a truth that's impossible to fake. It's exactly the kind of casting that shows how much richer storytelling becomes when we prioritise authentic voices over convenient choices.

Image: Focus Features

And can we talk about Alicia Silverstone for a moment? She appears in a smaller role, but man, is she incredible. I genuinely almost didn't recognise her. It's been years since we've seen her in something this meaty, and she absolutely makes the most of her limited screen time.

The characterisation toes a really interesting balance between sympathetic and completely unhinged — which is testament to both the acting and the writing. Without giving too much away, you'll find yourself questioning who the real villains are, and whether anyone in this twisted scenario deserves your empathy.

But here's where I start getting complicated feelings. I did not know this walking into the cinema, but I have since been made aware that Bugonia is an adaptation of a Korean film, Save the Green Planet!, directed by Jang Joon-hwan. Famously, I am not a huge fan of English remakes of foreign films, so this is a complex one for me. 

Image: Focus Features

Hollywood loves a proven concept. But there's something that sits uncomfortably with me about taking a brilliant foreign film and giving it the English-language treatment. Why not just... encourage people to read subtitles? Why not champion the original and help it find a wider audience?

We're living in an era where audiences are more globally minded than ever — just look at how Kpop Demon Hunters has connected with both kids and adults worldwide, bringing Korean culture and K-pop influences to mainstream Western cinema. I'm thinking of Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Squid Game. Countless foreign projects that have broken into the mainstream. 

We're clearly ready for stories that don't centre Western perspectives.

Despite my reservations about the remake situation, there's no denying this is a smart, complicated, deeply sad movie that tackles some very important issues: humanity, accountability, religion, capitalism, consumerism, and the environment.

Image: Focus Features

In our current climate of conspiracy theories and corporate distrust, it feels almost prophetic. The film doesn't offer easy answers or clear-cut heroes and villains. Instead, it sits in the uncomfortable grey areas where most of real life actually exists.

It's the kind of film that will have you discussing it for hours afterwards, questioning your own assumptions about power, truth, and what we owe each other as human beings.

The verdict? It's a brilliant, unsettling piece of cinema that I wish existed as an original story rather than a remake. But if you can get past that particular hang-up, it's absolutely worth your time.

Just do me a favour and watch the Korean movie after. It deserves its flowers too.

Feature Image: Focus Features.