Bugonia (2025)

The review describes Bugonia as riveting, unhinged and sardonic, another Lanthimos-Stone winner with bigger ideas at play. It notes the gripping, misanthropically funny tone and the fertile creative partnership.

The critic finds Bugonia one of the best recent films at capturing the present moment and calls it Lanthimos’s darkest and most timely work. She singles out Emma Stone’s performance for its control over tone amid the absurd and topical satire.

The critic calls Bugonia an absolute blast that defies remake odds with stylish, sardonic take on the source material. Stone and Plemons deliver compelling performances in this sardonic sci-fi caper.

The critic praises the madcap corporate satire-cum-sci-fi as pleasingly off-kilter and satisfying for Lanthimos fans, with a real punch in the final third. It probes corporate takeover of the planet through grotesque comic shocks.

The critic calls the film entertaining and a return to form, highlighting its compassion amid despair for the world. She singles out the tremendous double-act of Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

The critic notes that the film enters the real world more than Lanthimos' usual work, making it perhaps his saddest, with strong showcases for the stars and a resonant exploration of power and humiliation.

The review notes the film is low on laughs until a blood-spattered final act that delivers catharsis and pure cinema. It praises Emma Stone as mesmerising in a character who negotiates her kidnapping like a business deal.

The critic argues that the film squanders opportunities to meaningfully update the source for contemporary issues, lacking social commentary or character depth despite Plemons' strong performance.

The critic finds the film macabre and amusing with strong turns from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, plus a striking score and powerful finale montage, but faults its excessive length, heavy-handed approach and failure to fully earn its serious pivot. It lacks the ingenuity of Lanthimos’s prior works like Kinds of Kindness or Poor Things.

The critic notes bravura performances by Stone and Plemons elevate the high-concept exploitation movie but finds it a mixed bag overall. Production design shines in the recognisable modern setting.

The review examines the remake's hostage thriller setup in the age of vigilantes and big pharma, highlighting the central confrontation between Plemons and Stone.

The critic calls it a hilarious movie with no hope for the future of humanity, praising Stone's mesmerizing performance as the resourceful CEO who shines even in starkness. It singles out the class-divide contrasts and the absurd tragedy of the conspiracy theorists for attention.

The critic hails a gloriously gonzo, sharply satirical chamber piece with terrific turns from Stone and Plemons that is hilarious, grotesque and direct. The wickedly leftfield denouement delivers a serious message in entertaining Lanthimos style.

The critic finds Lanthimos masters bleak conspiracy satire through strong performances by Stone and Plemons, but notes overkill in plot points, score and a predictable ending. Philosophical pessimism sustains the film as a class-warfare parable.

The critic finds it an enjoyably odd genre hybrid with strong performances from Stone and Plemons, though not Lanthimos' best work, praising the visuals and subversive elements.

The critic calls it an intoxicating, visually lush specimen offering an uncommonly pleasurable descent into hell, with richly saturated colors and a bravura showdown between Stone and Plemons. It singles out the subversive production design and the bracing nastiness of the dialogue for praise.

The critic finds the film mostly sad rather than weird or funny, with naturalistic dialogue that feels like a demented Spielberg riff. It singles out the strong lead performances of Stone and Plemons for praise while noting the protagonist's internet-fueled conspiracy spiral.

The critic calls it a savage and bold satire on civilization's descent into madness, lauding the lead performances, visual beauty, and its meditation on humanity and nature, with a disquieting yet tender finale that makes for an impactful and entertaining experience.

A damning yet affectionate look at a broken society through conspiracy and cynicism, masterfully controlled with committed performances, ending on a note of affection for humanity's folly.

The critic calls it a dizzying, batsh*t-crazy return to form that ranks with Lanthimos’s best. He singles out the bravura performances by Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons for particular praise.

The critic calls Bugonia a fantastic remake that elevates its source material with richer ideas about inequality and modern frustrations. Stone and Plemons deliver two performances of the year in a tense, bizarre three-hander that shows Lanthimos exercising unusual restraint.

The critic finds it a fascinating but not perfect absurdist satire on belief and paranoia, praising the performances of Stone and Plemons and the ending's payoff while noting some self-satisfied weirdness.

The critic finds the film twisted and entertaining but not quite as satisfying as Lanthimos’s strongest prior works. He singles out the central mano-a-mano between Stone and Plemons as the highlight.

An uneven blackly comic tale where grim outweighs grinning in this remake, with strong performances but predictability in Lanthimos' style; praises energy and visuals but notes imbalance.

The critic highlights Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons' strong performances in this dark satire on conspiracy theories and class divides, noting Stone's textured and empathetic CEO portrayal alongside the film's bleak humor and visual style, though it ultimately feels nihilistic and more intriguing than fully triumphant.

It's a memorable but lesser work from Lanthimos and Stone, elevated by strong performances especially Plemons, with sick twists and a morbid ending, but scattered and sometimes too mean.

The review praises the biting satire on internet culture and misinformation, with Stone and Plemons delivering compelling performances that ground the absurd premise and prompt reflection on contemporary society, deeming it another strong collaboration between the director and star.