Yorgos Lanthimos’s ‘Bugonia’ Divides Critics: Oscar Contender or ‘Excruciating’ Slog?

The High-Stakes Divide Over Yorgos Lanthimos’s Latest Film

Director Yorgos Lanthimos has established a career built on cinematic absurdity, trapping characters in meticulously constructed, often unsettling worlds where the rules of reality are warped. Following the massive critical and commercial success of Poor Things, expectations for his latest feature, Bugonia, were astronomical—especially given its star-studded cast featuring Oscar winners Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

While the film is widely predicted to become a major contender in the upcoming 2026 Academy Awards race, early critical reactions have proven intensely polarizing. One prominent review from Slate declared the film an “excruciating” experience, despite acknowledging its inevitable path to Oscar nominations. This sharp division highlights the challenging, often confrontational nature of Lanthimos’s work and raises questions about whether his signature style successfully translates to this new, high-concept dark comedy.

The Premise: Kidnapping, Conspiracy, and Alleged Aliens

Bugonia is a remake of the acclaimed 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!. Lanthimos retains the core concept, centering the narrative on two eccentric, deeply paranoid conspiracy theorists. These characters, convinced that the world is being destroyed by alien infiltration, decide to take drastic action.

Their target is a powerful corporate CEO, played by Jesse Plemons, whom they believe is an extraterrestrial entity attempting to hasten the planet’s demise. The film quickly devolves into a hostage comedy—or, more accurately, a torture comedy—as the kidnappers attempt to extract a confession from their captive through increasingly bizarre and violent means.

Lanthimos’s Signature Style Under Scrutiny

Lanthimos’s films, from Dogtooth to The Lobster, are defined by their formal, deadpan delivery and stilted, emotionally flat dialogue. This style, which often creates a jarring juxtaposition between the mundane and the horrific, is present in Bugonia. However, the Slate reviewer argues that in this specific context, the style fails to generate genuine humor, instead resulting in a “tedious slog.”

Key elements of the film’s controversial approach include:

• Deadpan Delivery: The use of Lanthimos’s characteristic monotone dialogue, which, according to critics, strips the comedic scenarios of necessary levity.
• Extreme Violence: The film leans heavily into physical discomfort and violence, pushing boundaries in a way that some viewers found gratuitous and unfunny.
• Confined Setting: True to Lanthimos’s form, the majority of the action takes place in a single, claustrophobic setting, intensifying the psychological tension.

The Critical Backlash: Why the Film Is Being Called a Failure

Despite the pedigree of the director and the cast, the negative review highlights several significant flaws that prevented the film from achieving the absurdist brilliance of Lanthimos’s previous work.

“It is excruciating, unfunny, and feels like a director trying to replicate his own successful formula without understanding the necessary balance of tone. The violence is relentless, and the comedy simply never lands.”

Failure of Tone and Execution

The central critique revolves around the film’s inability to balance its comedic aspirations with its dark, violent subject matter. The reviewer found the film’s attempts at humor to be consistently flat, leaving the audience only with the discomfort of the torture scenes. In Lanthimos’s best work, the absurdity acts as a shield against the horror; in Bugonia, the reviewer suggests, the shield is absent.

The Controversial Ending

Perhaps the most damning criticism is reserved for the film’s conclusion. The ending is described as a “literal deus ex machina,” a narrative device where an unexpected, often contrived, solution resolves the plot. The reviewer argues that this ending serves as a “cheap trick” that retroactively undermines any thematic weight or tension built up during the preceding two hours. For a director known for his meticulous, self-contained worlds, this perceived narrative cop-out was seen as a major disappointment.

Oscar Hype Versus Critical Reality

Despite the intensely negative personal reaction from some critics, the consensus remains that Bugonia is positioned to be a major player during the 2026 awards season. The film’s expected success is driven by several factors that often outweigh initial critical divisiveness:

1. Director Pedigree: Lanthimos is a recognized auteur whose films are frequently rewarded by the Academy, regardless of their polarizing nature.
2. Star Power: Emma Stone (who won Best Actress for Poor Things) and Jesse Plemons are high-profile talents guaranteed to draw attention and nominations.
3. Studio Backing: The film is being distributed by Focus Features, a studio known for launching successful awards campaigns.
4. The ‘Divisive Masterpiece’ Factor: Films that generate strong, passionate reactions—both positive and negative—often gain significant traction in the awards conversation, as they are seen as culturally relevant and challenging.

This dynamic sets up a fascinating awards season where a film that some critics genuinely disliked may still sweep major categories, illustrating the gap between personal critical experience and industry-wide recognition of directorial vision and star power.

Key Takeaways

• Film Title: Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
• Stars: Emma Stone (conspiracy theorist) and Jesse Plemons (kidnapped CEO).
• Source Material: Remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!.
• Genre: Dark comedy/hostage thriller, utilizing Lanthimos’s signature deadpan style.
• Oscar Outlook: Widely predicted to receive multiple nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards.
• Critical Divide: Early reviews are highly polarized; one prominent critic called the film “excruciating” and criticized its lack of humor and “cheap trick” ending.

Conclusion

Bugonia confirms that Lanthimos remains committed to making films that challenge and provoke. While the film’s premise—a conspiracy theory gone wrong—is timely and intriguing, its execution has alienated some critics who found the blend of extreme violence and stilted comedy ineffective. As the film moves toward wider release and the inevitable awards circuit, the conversation surrounding Bugonia will likely center on whether its artistic ambition justifies its uncomfortable and divisive approach. For audiences, the key question will be whether Lanthimos’s latest work is a misunderstood masterpiece or merely a tedious exercise in shock value.