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Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark psychological thriller Bugonia, releasing in Indian cinemas on October 31, 2025.
Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos’ thrilling reflection of modern paranoia and conspiracy culture.
Universal Pictures India (distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery) is set to bring one of the year’s most talked-about psychological thrillers to Indian cinemas. Visionary filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, known for his provocative storytelling and surreal visual style, officially unveils Bugonia — a genre-bending exploration of paranoia, delusion, and digital-age madness. Starring Academy Award winner Emma Stone, acclaimed actor Jesse Plemons, and breakout newcomer Aidan Delbis, the film releases in India on October 31, 2025.
A Distorted Mirror of the Modern World
Provocative, subversive, and sharply funny, Bugonia dives deep into the chaos of conspiracy culture and the human tendency to seek monsters in the mirror. The story follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who, trapped in the echo chambers of their online rabbit holes, decide to take action against what they believe is an alien invasion threatening humankind.
Their target is Michelle (Emma Stone), a powerful corporate CEO whom they are convinced is an extraterrestrial sent to destroy the planet. What follows is a terrifying and absurd confrontation when the pair — led by the unhinged Teddy (Plemons) — kidnap Michelle, chain her in a basement, and interrogate her about an alleged plot involving planetary destruction, bee extinction, and a looming lunar eclipse.
The film’s title, Bugonia, nods to an ancient Greek myth describing the birth of bees from the carcasses of dead cows — a symbolic reflection of rebirth, delusion, and the decay of reason.
Chaos, Comedy, and Confrontation
As the story unfolds, the captors and their captive are pulled into a psychological battle that is both explosive and strangely moving. What begins as a bizarre hostage situation evolves into a haunting meditation on fear, faith, and the fractures of modern life.
The performances from Stone and Plemons are raw, volatile, and unrelenting — a dance between power and vulnerability that keeps audiences unsure of what’s real and what’s imagined.
Yorgos Lanthimos on the Madness of Modernity
Known for acclaimed films like The Favourite and Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos once again pushes boundaries with Bugonia. Speaking about the film’s themes, the director explains, “In the world that we live in now, people live in certain bubbles that have been enhanced by technology. Having certain ideas about people is reinforced depending on which bubble you live in, creating this big chasm between people. I wanted to challenge the viewer about the things that we’re very certain about — the judgment calls you make about certain kinds of people. It’s a very interesting reflection of our society and the conflict in our contemporary world.”
A Satirical Reflection of Our Times
Bugonia unfolds as a darkly comic yet deeply unsettling portrait of an era consumed by fear and misinformation — a thriller that feels all too close to reality. Through its razor-sharp writing, chilling imagery, and Lanthimos’ trademark absurdist humour, the film dismantles the certainty of truth itself.
Brimming with tension, irony, and unexpected empathy, Bugonia is not just a film about conspiracy — it’s a cinematic mirror held up to a divided age.
Catch Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Aidan Delbis in Bugonia, releasing only in cinemas across India on October 31, 2025.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
October 25, 2025, 19:30 IST
