Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons just unveiled Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia in Venice 2025 competition, and early reviews point to a fierce, topical collision of conspiracy and corporate power. Over a taut 120 minutes, the fifth Stone–Lanthimos collaboration pivots from last year’s divisive Kinds of Kindness to a nervy kidnap thriller with darkly comic bite. Critics highlight Stone’s icy CEO and Plemons’ radically transformed beekeeper, the VistaVision look, and stingingly sharp dialogue by Will Tracy. With Focus Features setting an October 24, 2025 release, here’s what’s new, what hits hardest, and why this premiere is already sparking buzz.
Need to know
Briefing
- Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons premiere Bugonia in Venice competition on Aug 28, 2025.
- Focus Features sets U.S. release for Oct 24, 2025; runtime 120 minutes.
- Reviews call it “scaldingly topical,” with a duel between a CEO and a kidnapper.
- Next: post‑Venice rollout toward U.S. theaters in late October 2025.
Why this premiere hits now—new tone, new stakes, sharper edge
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Lanthimos returns to a lean, high‑tension format: a kidnapping face‑off between Stone’s image‑polished pharma CEO and Plemons’ unhinged, eco‑obsessed beekeeper. Reviews flag razor‑edged dialogue, a wry needle‑drop (“Basket Case”), and a visual palette shot on VistaVision with cinematographer Robbie Ryan. It’s a stark, timely pivot that threads conspiracies, corporate doublespeak, and ecological dread—landing at Venice just weeks before the U.S. release, when conversation will be loudest.
Voices and reactions
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A press‑room moment added fuel: Stone acknowledged an open‑minded stance on extraterrestrials while promoting Bugonia—an eyebrow‑raising beat that dovetails with the film’s “is she an alien?” obsession.
https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1961041644632907844
The data that reveals the trend
Bugonia marks the 5th Stone–Lanthimos pairing, but this time she plays a precision‑tooled corporate operator, not a misfit heroine. Variety underscores Will Tracy’s script as a duel of ideologies—“Off Broadway two‑hander” tightness—while Deadline highlights the “return to form” momentum after Kinds of Kindness. The film adapts (loosely) 2003’s Save the Green Planet!, reframing it for today’s misinformation climate with electric performances and 120 minutes of escalating mind games.
The numbers that change the game
KPI
Metric Value + Unit Date/Scope Change/Impact Runtime 120 minutes Venice 2025 premiere Tight, high‑tension structure U.S. release Oct 24, 2025 Focus Features Positions fall theatrical launch Stone–Lanthimos team‑ups 5 films As of 2025 Renewed creative groove post‑Kinds Festival slot In Competition Venice, Aug 28, 2025 High‑profile spotlight Source material Save the Green Planet! (2003) Adaptation basis Topical update for conspiracy era Format/look VistaVision visuals Reported by critics Distinct cinematic texture Summary: Lean 120‑minute, in‑competition launch sets a focused, topical awards‑season conversation.
Divided opinions: controversy heats up
Early reactions converge on two points: performances and provocation. Variety calls Plemons’ turn “acting on the high wire,” mapping a character who’s both extremist and eerily perceptive. Deadline hails a “return to form,” spotlighting the film’s absurdist nerve within a paranoid‑thriller frame. Expect arguments over the ending’s “crowning joke,” the film’s stance on corporate malfeasance, and whether its alien‑talk is delusion or design.
Legal deadlines and what’s at stake now for the release window
With Focus Features dated for Oct 24, 2025, Bugonia moves quickly from festival to theaters. The Venice platform frames perception ahead of the domestic rollout; audience discourse will likely hinge on the film’s ideological duel and Stone’s corporate anti‑heroine turn.
What buyers should know right now: tone, cast, and the October plan
Bugonia is a darkly comic kidnap thriller—dialogue‑driven, formally bold, and purposefully uncomfortable. Key team: Yorgos Lanthimos (director), Will Tracy (screenplay), Robbie Ryan (camera). Cast includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone. Running 120 minutes, it’s designed for conversation—arriving Oct 24, 2025 via Focus Features.
Sources
- https://deadline.com/2025/08/bugonia-review-jesse-plemons-kidnaps-emma-stone-venice-fest-1236498564/
- https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/bugonia-review-emma-stone-jesse-plemons-yorgos-lanthimos-1236499397/
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.