Humans are slowly killing the planet through war and oppression of their own species, signifying a rise in alienation and loneliness. “Bugonia” fills audience members with hopelessness about empathy, with an atmosphere of chilling and grim moments that sits viewers at the edge of their seats.

“Bugonia” opens with shots of bees over Jesse Plemons’ narration, illustrating how humans are easy creatures to control. The imagery pops out of the screen, with each flower having its own vibrant colors; honey bees buzz with a sense of autonomy and work ethic.

Based on the Korean comedy “Save the Green Planet!” (2003), “Bugonia” is an American adaptation with a modern take on suffering and vengeance.

The film follows two conspiracy theorists, Teddy (Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis), who abduct the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), because they believe she is an alien trying to kill everyone on Earth. With her kidnapping, each of the characters’ motives begins to unravel, radiating anguish and confusion as power structures shift.

This being the third time director Yorgos Lanthimos and Stone have collaborated, they seem to know each other’s strengths, especially Stone’s use of tone to command the screen. In terms of performances, Stone and Plemons are on a different level, playing a hierarchy of power and possession that serves the film’s allegory of the working class against the 1%.

Both of them gave visceral performances full of pity and lament. Plemons desperately searches for answers, making him vulnerable to Stone’s deceptive tactics. She is incredible at eye acting, especially since she is bald. Her gaze communicates her strategy without revealing too much of her plan.

Delbis, a newcomer to acting, exhibits a level of sensitivity that few actors can achieve, exploring his persona as a victim of capitalism and how it drives him to helplessness. The nuanced performances of Plemons, Stone and Delbis all added depth to the characters, leaving the audience questioning whether they are telling the truth about their conspiracies.

Will Tracy’s script takes a long time to settle in and often makes over-the-top allegories about capitalism and the exploitation of the working class. However, when the script picks up its pace in the climax, it moves at full speed. Gruesome and visceral scenes allow the audience to sympathize with the film’s characters, even though they are all heinous human beings.

By the third act, every decision from the characters’ past has its own consequences. They are no longer trying to make sense of the “alien” or the kidnapping, but rather they are trying to survive one another’s devilish games to the point of driving each other mad. Lanthimos knows how to deliver a third act full of suspense that leaves the audience struggling to separate reality from fantasy.

Lanthimos’ directional style shines across every part of the frame, balancing weirdness and realism to bring out the derangement of Teddy to its full extent. Like his previous film, “Kinds of Kindness” (2024), he constructs a reality distant from our own to explore a side of humanity that often goes unnoticed.

With each frame flooded with incandescent lighting, the cinematography captures a juxtaposition between warmth and detachment. Freddy has secluded himself from the world because of his past traumas and his mother’s illness, and Stone disconnects her empathy to further achieve her goal: escaping from their house.

The camera movements during the most intense moments are static and almost lifeless compared to other thrillers, succeeding at alienating the characters from their actions. With the camera focusing on the actors’ faces and their reactions, the scenes vigorously staple themselves to the brain.

The costume and set designs cooperate with the narrative of social order, as Fuller’s house and dress are more classy than anything Freddy and Don have ever seen. In the film, capitalism is the catalyst for humanity’s destruction, yet it offers no true solutions to the problem, just a feeling of vulnerability that lingers throughout its setting.

Stone’s wardrobe completely changes from a clean, bossy look to a demented and uncontrollable one once she is no longer the one in control. With her hair and makeup stripped away, her character has to find creative ways to escape her imprisonment.

Because of its character-centered storyline, “Bugonia” manages to stick the landing with its third act because Lanthimos and Tracy understood the characters’ actions to further their allegorical standpoint. At times funny and at others scary, the picture walks between reality and fantasy, leading to catastrophic consequences and an introspective viewing experience.