Venice 2025: First Reactions to Yorgos Lanthimos’ BUGONIA

The Venice Film Festival got underway yesterday, and reactions to some of the highly-anticipated world premieres are starting to arrive.

Bugonia is a science fiction black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos from a screenplay by Will Tracy. It is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. It stars Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone.

In the film, two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

The film will compete for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival, then launch in US theaters in limited release on October 24th, 2025. You can find the release date on our In Theaters Calendar.

Here are the first reactions out of Venice:

'Bugonia' Review: Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons Battle Over Doomed Humanity in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Loopy Dark Comedy About Our Planet in Peril https://t.co/uocP7On2lX
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 28, 2025

'BUGONIA' REVIEW: Yorgos Lanthimos is at the top of his visionary nihilistic game in a movie about what's happening to the world. Even as we’re giggling, or maybe just shell-shocked, the film transitions into something deeply cosmic and humane.

Read the full review here:… pic.twitter.com/yM0O8rMEwB
— Variety (@Variety) August 28, 2025

Marc van de Klashorst falls into a rabbit hole in Yorgos Lanthimos' violently funny BUGONIA, which yet again proves that Lanthimos' storytelling power isn't waning and has two brilliant physical performances at its heart #Venezia82 https://t.co/DfolPxAx4B pic.twitter.com/dXXXgKsrdW
— IntlCinephileSociety (@ICSfilm) August 28, 2025

‘Bugonia’ Review: Jesse Plemons Tries to Save the World from Emma Stone in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Blunt Big-Pharma Hostage Thriller https://t.co/lSWWUUobzV
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) August 28, 2025

'Bugonia' Review: Jesse Plemons Is Nutcase Conspiracy Theorist Who Kidnaps Emma Stone In Yorgos Lanthimos' Wild Ride - Venice Film Festival https://t.co/lXMOJbi3LM
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 28, 2025

'Bugonia' review: Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are dynamite in explosive Yorgos Lanthimos thriller. By @NikkiBaughan #Venezia82 https://t.co/8yFEMAqS05
— Screen International (@Screendaily) August 28, 2025

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