Bugonia critics react

Venice critics largely praise Bugonia with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons drawing the strongest cheers, even as some reviews flag pacing and tonal risks.

Bugonia Critics Split Yet Praise Prevails

Yorgos Lanthimos returns with Bugonia, an English-language remake of Save the Green Planet! that casts Emma Stone as the CEO of a powerful company who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists convinced she is an alien. The film blends offbeat humor with sharp satire and arrives in Venice with bustle around its audacious premise and timely themes.

Critics praise the performances by Stone and Jesse Plemons and note Lanthimos's signature mix of surreal humor and social critique. Some reviews warn that the two-hour runtime tests the pacing, and a few question whether the ending fully earns its shift to heavier material. Still, the response cements Bugonia as a bold entrant in this year’s festival lineup.

Bugonia’s reception shows festival audiences still crave cinema that both unsettles and entertains. Lanthimos leans into a clearer throughline while keeping his knack for strange atmospheres, pairing Stone and Plemons in a dynamic that gives the satire emotional heft. The film’s cross-cultural remake angle adds an extra layer of curiosity, inviting conversations about translation between East Asian storytelling and Western satire.

Looking ahead, the film’s box office arc may depend on how widely audiences embrace its tonal shifts and whether the runtime feels purposeful or indulgent. The remake angle could attract broader scrutiny, yet the festival buzz already positions Bugonia as a talking point as it heads toward a wider release. The debate in Venice is likely to shape early expectations for the movie’s critical and commercial life.

Highlights

Time will tell how Bugonia lands with general audiences beyond the festival.