Bugonia (2025) Review

There are a lot of films coming out before the end of the year and one that caught my eye was Bugonia. I saw the trailer for it before watching another film and was intrigued, I found the time today to go and watch it and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees two young men kidnap a CEO with the thought that she is an Alien who is set to destroy the world. 

Main Character

Emma Stone plays Michelle and she does a great job in this film. She is clearly the victim here but she owns the role and as it progresses she grows braver and more confident which is where she really shines. Stone is really good at keeping the viewer guessing about what is really going on and that makes her interesting. 

Supporting Characters

Though Emma Stone is great, Jesse Plemons steals the show here as Teddy. He gives a sublime performance that is just unnerving but full of emotion and I really do believe his name will be thrown around when it comes to award season as he us that good. 

Aidan Delbis plays Don and he has a pretty tragic tale in the film. He really isn't sure what to do and he really nails it and I felt really sorry watching him and his story throughout the film. 

There aren't too many other characters here. There is a police officer that I thought was a little tacked on and a bit weird of an addition, maybe it was a missed opportunity to not have one or two more interesting characters here. 

Story

The story is great, it is an absolutely ridiculous idea and presentation but it just really works. The storytelling by the actors, writers and director makes this premise work and the characters are really interesting with a really effective ending that really resonated and made me think long after it.

Script

The film is incredibly well written, the dialogue is sharp and natural with a great blend of drama and some well placed humour in there. It is a great example of how dialogue can really influence a film as this one really relies on it. 

Style

The film looks really good, it is very old school and uses many different techniques to make it stand out alongside some really tense sequences. The music as well and sound design is so good and added to the overall feeling of the film. 

Overall

Overall, Bugonia is a Fantastic Film and I really was surprised by how much I was invested in the film and the acting. I think this film will be much talked about when it comes to The Oscars and it is really deserving of all the praise. 

Rating - 9/10