Bugonia has always been destined to be a peculiar anomaly. Directed by the unconventional Yorgos Lanthimos, known for ending his most mainstream film with a goat brain transplant, the film is set to intrigue viewers. The plot is equally bizarre, featuring Jesse Plemons as a conspiracy theorist beekeeper pitted against a CEO who may or may not be an alien from the planet Andromedan.
Even the title, Bugonia, is derived from the Greek word “bougonia,” which originates from an ancient Mediterranean belief that bees emerge spontaneously from the corpses of dead animals.
What truly stands out about Bugonia is its unexpected ending, especially for those familiar with the South Korean film it is based on.
Lanthimos’ remake concludes in a manner similar to Jang Joon-hwan’s Save the Green Planet!, yet the film cleverly misleads viewers along the way. As a devoted fan of the original, I found myself anticipating a different direction throughout Bugonia, only to be surprised by how closely the ending aligns with the source material.
Major spoilers for Bugonia below.
Bugonia ending explained: Who is Emma Stone’s Michelle Fuller?
Jang Joon-hwan was inspired to create Save the Green Planet! by contemplating how Stephen King’s Misery would appear from the perspective of Annie Wilkes. Add in influences from a satirical conspiracy website claiming Leonardo DiCaprio is an alien, and you have the foundation for both the original film and its subsequent remake.
In Bugonia, the CEO (potentially an alien) is portrayed by a woman this time. Michelle Fuller (played by Emma Stone) is captured early on by Teddy, a believer in extraterrestrial life on Earth, and his cousin Don, who obediently follows Teddy’s extreme demands, including undergoing chemical castration. After shaving Fuller’s head, Teddy believes she can use her hair to contact her Andromedan relatives, leading to a series of escalating events culminating in a race against time to escape before a lunar eclipse.
As the story unfolds, Fuller’s true identity is questioned, leading to a chain of events that culminate in a shocking revelation that alters the course of the narrative.
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Bugonia is now showing in theaters. UK viewers can catch it at Cineworld, Odeon, and Vue. US audiences can purchase tickets from AMC Theatres, Fandango, and Atom Tickets.
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