Bugonia is a black comedy directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Will Tracy. An English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. Bugonia premiered in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and follows two young men who kidnap a powerful CEO, suspecting that she is secretly an alien who wants to destroy Earth.
Being a huge fan of Sci-Fi, Bugonia appeared to be the film to watch. It is different, suspenseful, and comes with an ending you won’t soon forget.
Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of the pharmaceutical conglomerate Auxolith, is abducted by conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) and his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis). Teddy’s mother, Sandy (Alicia Silverstone), previously participated in a clinical trial for an Auxolith drug that rendered her comatose. Teddy has come to believe Michelle is a member of a malignant alien species known as the “Andromedans” who are killing Earth’s honeybees, destroying communities, and forcing humans into numb subservience. Teddy and Don imprison Michelle in their basement, shave her head, and cover her body in antihistamine cream to prevent her from sending out a distress signal to other Andromedans.
With a deliberately small cast, Bugonia goes the distance, proving how far great acting and total commitment can carry a film. Emma Stone’s dedication alone is striking—she famously shaved her head for the role, and that physical transformation underscores how fully she inhabits the character. From the start, the film keeps you questioning reality itself: is Teddy stark raving mad, or is Michelle truly something not of this world?
Rather than spoon-feeding answers, Bugonia challenges its audience by offering several possible endings, encouraging viewers to piece together the truth on their own. This approach is risky, and without the right performers, it could easily have fallen apart. Thankfully, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are more than up to the task. Their performances are so strong that the film’s unusual narrative structure not only works but becomes one of its strengths.
I personally felt I had stumbled upon the “correct” ending, yet even then I wasn’t entirely confident. That uncertainty is part of the experience. What I didn’t see coming, however, was the absolute final ending—a genuine doozy that recontextualizes everything that came before it. Teddy, in particular, is fascinating to watch. His artistic nature makes him completely unpredictable, and Plemons delivers a performance that is both convincing and unsettling.
In the end, Bugonia is well-presented, entertaining, and consistently engaging. While it may not be earth-shattering, its unique wrap-up, strong performances, and willingness to trust the audience make it a memorable and exciting watch. Bugonia is still in select theaters and will start streaming on Decembeeer 23. Check It Out!
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 308 critics’ reviews are positive. The website’s consensus reads: “Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are at the top of their game in Bugonia, a bonkers entertainment that applies director Yorgos Lanthimos’ whip-smart method to modern society’s madness.”
As of December 14, 2025, Bugonia has grossed $18 million in the United States and Canada, and $21 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $39 million.
WHO’s WHO:
(Emma Stone) – Michelle Fuller:
The CEO of a major pharmaceutical company is thought to be an alien. Michelle serves as the film’s analogue to the character Kang Man-shik, who in the original film is male. Stone shaved her head for this role.
(Jesse Plemons) – Teddy Gatz:
A conspiracy theory–obsessed beekeeper. Teddy serves the same narrative role as the character of Lee Byeong-gu in the original film
(Aidan Delbis) -Don:
Teddy’s autistic cousin.
(Stavros Halkias) – Casey Boyd:
A local police officer who searches for Michelle and was Teddy’s babysitter in the past. Casey takes the place of two police detective characters seen in the original film, Detectives Choo and Kim.
(Alicia Silverstone) – Sandy Gatz:
Teddy’s mother
FYI:
The decision to swap Dan’s gender was made by Aster, Tracy, and Jang before Lanthimos’s involvement with the film, and, according to Jang, was one of the last creative decisions he made before stepping down as director.
In the Korean film, the kidnapper was assisted by an awkward but fiery girl, who was passionately in love with Don.
The film’s title refers to a folk ritual described in some ancient Mediterranean texts, including Virgil’s Georgics. It involves sacrificing a cow, believing that bees would spontaneously generate from its carcass.
Lanthimos intended to film the ending scene of Bugonia at the Acropolis of Athens, but could not obtain permission, so the scene was instead filmed at Sarakiniko Beach.
Bugonias was budgeted at $45 million; however, a Deadline Hollywood report indicated that it cost $55 million, making it Lanthimos’ most expensive film, surpassing Poor Things.
The film was released on VOD on November 25, 2025, and will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-Ray on December 23, 2025.
Frankenstein is a Gothic science fiction drama film produced, written, and directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. The story follows the life of Frankenstein, an egotistical scientist whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences. The film was released on Netflix. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States from October 17th and was released globally on Netflix on November 7th.
As a fan of Guillermo, I couldn’t wait to see what he did with this true classic story. He did not fail. This is among the best of Frankenstein stories. Well done!
Prelude
In 1857, Horisont, a Royal Danish Navy ship sailing for the North Pole, became trapped in the icy waters of the Arctic. Alerted to an explosion in the distance, Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and his men discover a gravely injured Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). While rescuing him, the crew is attacked by a creature who demands Victor’s surrender. Anderson uses a blunderbuss to sink the Creature into the water. Victor explains that he created the Creature and recounts the events leading to his creation.
Part I: Victor’s Tale
Victor’s mother dies while giving birth to his younger brother, William (Felix Kammerer), who becomes the favorite of their renowned, aristocratic father, Baron Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance). Grieving his mother and resenting his abusive father, Victor becomes a brilliant, yet arrogant surgeon obsessed with “curing” death through science. Arms merchant Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), impressed with Victor’s work, offers him unlimited funding and an isolated tower to continue his experiments under an unnamed condition.
Part II: The Creature’s Tale
The Creature (Jacob Elordi) takes shelter in the mill gears of a family’s farm. Over the next year, he secretly helps the family, providing them with large supplies of firewood and building a pen for their sheep. They thank their unseen benefactor as the “Spirit of the Forest.”
I can’t say enough about this version of Frankenstein. It stands among Guillermo del Toro’s best work—beautifully written, confidently directed, and exquisitely produced. What struck me most was the decision to divide the film into three distinct parts: first introducing the story to the audience, then allowing it to unfold through Dr. Frankenstein’s perspective, and finally handing the narrative to the monster himself. That structure gives the film emotional depth and clarity, and it works remarkably well.
The film is heartfelt, deeply emotional, and genuinely horrifying. If the goal was to guide the audience toward empathy for the monster, then del Toro succeeds completely. This interpretation also grants Dr. Frankenstein a surprising amount of dignity, even in his madness, and thoughtfully explores the motivations behind his actions. Rather than portraying him as a flat cautionary figure, the film gives him purpose, conflict, and tragic humanity.
The narrative is easy to follow without being simplistic, and the characters are likable without being overdrawn. Because of that balance, the audience isn’t emotionally bludgeoned when death arrives—yet the losses still matter. The gore is graphic and plentiful, unapologetically so, and the strange creatures that populate certain locations add to the film’s unsettling atmosphere. Each setting feels alive, dangerous, and intentional.
The cinematography tells its own story—mysterious, lush, and often breathtaking—pulling the viewer deeper into the world with every frame. The performances are spot-on across the board, grounding the fantasy in emotional truth. At times, I genuinely believed this story could have been a historical event in history, which speaks volumes about the film’s authenticity and care.
I thoroughly enjoyed Frankenstein and wholeheartedly support its Oscar nominations. In a word: brilliant. Frankenstein is streaming on Netflix — Check It Out!
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 366 critics’ reviews are positive. The website’s consensus reads: “Finding the humanity in one of cinema’s most iconic monsters, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is a lavish epic that gets its most invigorating volts from Jacob Elordi’s standout performance.”
WHO’s WHO:
(Oscar Isaac) – Baron Victor Frankenstein:
A surgeon who plans to create life from death
(Christian Convery) – young Victor
(Jacob Elordi) – The Creature:
A monstrous creation of Victor Frankenstein
(Mia Goth) – Lady Elizabeth Harlander:
William’s fiancée, for whom Victor has feelings, and
Baroness Claire Frankenstein:
Victor’s late mother, who died giving birth to William
(Felix Kammerer) – William Frankenstein:
Victor’s younger brother and Elizabeth’s fiancé
(David Bradley) – The Blind Man:
A blind old man who befriends the Creature
(Lars Mikkelsen) – Captain Anderson:
The head of a Royal Danish Navy expedition to the North Pole
(Charles Dance) – Baron Leopold Frankenstein:
Victor’s strict, oppressive father, who is also a renowned physician
(Christoph Waltz) – Henrich Harlander:
Elizabeth’s uncle, a wealthy arms manufacturer who funds Victor’s experiments
(Kyle Gatehouse) – The Young Hunter:
The unnamed son of the Blind Man
(Lauren Collins) – Alma:
The Young Hunter’s wife
(Sofia Galasso) – Anna-Maria:
The granddaughter of the blind man and the daughter of the Young Hunter
{Ralph Ineson} – Professor Krempe:
A professor who oversees the hearing of Victor
(Burn Gorman) – An executioner:
The person from whom Victor obtains the remains of deceased criminals
(Nikolaj Lie Kaas) – Chief Officer Larsen:
This person attempts to persuade Captain Anderson of the crew’s fading strength and morale
[BUGONIA has been Oscar Nominated at the 98th Academy Awards for BEST: Picture, Leading Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score – Totaling 4 Nominations]
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Train Dreams is an American period drama directed by Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Greg Kwedar, and is based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella. This is a Netflix film I had not heard of before I saw it in their lineup. Train Dreams had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025, and was released in select U.S. cinemas on November 7, 2025, before its streaming debut on Netflix on November 21, 2025. I had been told it was a good movie, so I went for it. I didn’t think it was great, but it was good.
Is This Thing On? is a comedy of remarriage directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Will Arnett and Mark Chappell. It is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is an epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, based on a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Distributed by 20th Century Studios and produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, it is the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and the third installment in the Avatar film series. It follows the human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully and his family on the planet Pandora, as they face the combined threat of the human RDA forces and the Mangkwan, a tribe of savage, warmongering, collaborationist Na’vi. As a huge fan, I awaited this sequel and loved it.
Song Sung Blue is a biographical musical drama written, co-produced, and directed by Craig Brewer. It is based on the 2008 documentary film of the same name by Greg Kohs. Song Sung Blue premiered at the AFI Film Festival on October 26, 2025, and was released in the United States by Focus Features on December 25. The film, based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, seemed promising in the trailer and turned out to be a delightful, heartfelt film.
The Long Walk is a dystopian survival thriller directed and produced by Francis Lawrence, based on a screenplay by JT Mollner. It is based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Stephen King (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman). The Long Walk was released in the United States by Lionsgate in September, 2025. The film follows fifty boys in an annually televised competitive walking marathon, meant to inspire viewers. I knew The Long Walk was going to be hard to watch; however, I decided to take one for the team. The film was designed to evoke a range of emotions. The Long Walk was well done.
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