Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker December 31, 2025

Based on the 2003 Korean film 'Save the Green Planet!', Director Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. The suspenseful, conspiracy theory-fueled psychological thriller stars Jesse Plemons ('Killers of the Flower Moon', 'Breaking Bad') as Teddy Gatz, a dangerous and potentially unstable man who kidnaps pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone ('Poor Things', 'La La Land')) after he becomes convinced she is more than what she seems and believes she has an destructive hidden agenda. Alicia Silverstone ('Batman & Robin', 'Clueless') also appears as Sandy, Teddy's mother. On-disc extras consist of one featurette, but the disc's technical merits are impressive. A slipcover, Blu-ray disc, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

I went into Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia as I do with many films, completely flat-footed. I had avoided trailers, ads, threads, everything. For most films it isn't critical, but I do prefer to go into most films with little to no information, so as to not have any expectations or pre-conceived notions regarding what I'm about to see. It's not always easy. Sometime an overly-excited friend or family member will start opining about a film they'd just seen and I'll do my best to cut that particular discussion short, allowing them to add in a simple "Hey, go see this movie, I think you'll really like it.", before they get to far afield. Again, it's not always essential, but I do like to be surprised and form my own opinions. With Bugonia, however, going in without any foreknowledge is absolutely essential. There are numerous events and developments throughout the film which will lose their impact if first time viewers don't remain vigilant. Considering the overall quality of the film, I'd encourage everyone to do so.

That said, this serves as fair warning. I'll endeavor not to discuss plot points and story arcs to the best of my ability, but know that it is virtually impossible to be completely successful. Some details will invariably sneak out. So, for those of you who don't wish to have anything spoiled, please simply scroll down to the video and audio discussions, which should be perfectly safe, and know that as a film fan, Bugonia is absolutely worth your time. Once you've seen the film, feel free to return to this review. But beyond this point, there are probably going to be some (hopefully minor) spoilers.

Given the nature of the film, and in deference to those who haven't yet seen the film and scrolled past the words of warning above, I'll forgo the traditional film synopsis. Instead, I'll relate something akin to a holiday miracle that occurred in my house when the day's festivities had drawn to a close. As my wife, my children, and their significant others began to scatter, I started making my way to the theater room. My daughter asked me what I was going to be watching, and when I replied, Bugonia, suddenly there a rush of activity. Drinks were made, snacks divvied up, and every single one of them claimed their spot before I even got the disc in the player. That was a first.

More often than not, especially when viewing something for this site, it's a solitary experience. But for a film of this nature, the reactions of the group were almost as entertaining as the film itself. My wife had the earliest tense and uncomfortable reaction. In the first small spoiler I can't avoid, Teddy and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap Stone's Michelle and unceremoniously hold her hostage in their basement, shaving her head for reasons only they should explain. After the initial exchange that followed her regaining consciousness, my wife checked out; not her type of film, she said. The rest of us continued, convinced we had a solid grasp of what was going on, and asking questions about how Teddy and Don could have possibly have gotten away clean given who they are (or seem to be), what about cell phone pings, and the like. After a time though, my son became increasingly uncomfortable, not being a fan overly suspenseful or or overtly horror material. Though he was climbing the walls at certain points, we all cajoled him enough to soothe his fraying nerves and he hung in there. The film's payoff made him glad he did.

Though the film has a number of messages, two, in particular, stood out to me as being of primary importance. The first has to do with the nature of truth. Jesse Plemons' Teddy, presented as a devout conspiracy theorist, is convinced he knows everything he needs to know to justify and make mandatory his actions. As he explains to another character toward the middle of the movie, he doesn't obtain his news or information from traditional sources, and has clearly gone down to the very bottom of one specific and deep rabbit hole. His obsession and perspective places him in an echo chamber where he's only reading and hearing things that explicitly align with his own viewpoint. His purposeful exclusion of any other facts, sources, or opinions only reinforces the notion that what he believes is the unequivocal truth.

For Don, it's worse. He's clearly not done any of his own reading or research. His opinions aren't even his. He's simply been fed a steady drip of opinions and information from Teddy, and so Teddy's beliefs have, over time, become his beliefs. He does not question. He has no rebuttal. He has no other viewpoint. He simply accepts everything Teddy says as fact because it is Teddy who said it. Ultimately, everything that happens to him in the film, for good or ill, his because of his unquestioning acceptance of what Teddy presents as the truth.

The second significant theme of the film has to do with the negative impact that humans have had on the planet we call home. The film opens with Teddy tending bees outside his rundown home. At first it simply seems to be yet another quirk of a patently odd character. However, his attention to, and understanding of the importance of the bees is a significant motivator of his actions. A full 35% of the world's food supply is dependent upon bees to pollinate them. Actions that we take that endanger them, most notably the destruction of their habitat and the overplanting of crops like corn which rely on extensive pesticide usage and reduces the nutritional value of their diet, can lead to colony collapse. While the actual facts of the situation are quite startling, if not frightening, crafting Teddy as a beekeeper who is worried about the global collapse of the food chain, though it is a legitimate concern, is just one more characteristic that paints him as a person who does not have a firm grip on reality.

Though it all, Emma Stone's performance is astonishing, and it is primarily her interactions with Jesse Plemons' Teddy that carry and propel the film forward with its tense and desperate energy. Stone, as Michelle Fuller, is something of a chameleon. She's utterly convincing as a high-toned CEO who seems to have it all; the elegant and modern home, a staff to tend to her personal interests, a luxury vehicle to drive, and countless awards and accolades. She's perhaps even something of a modern Scrooge, with a staff who seems to jump to her beck and call more out of fear than anything else, and her completely ogrish and manipulative measure to coerce her employees to essentially deny every other aspect of their existence and work well beyond the traditional 40-hour work week. To wit, the edict essentially casts the employees of her company as her drones, her worker bees, and she their queen. Yet, when she's kidnapped and held captive, there is the briefest moment of panic before she begins her campaign to take control of the situation. As she recognizes her corporate speak, densely laden with buzzwords and phrases that sound ridiculous outside of a meeting room filled with people all working with the same overly manicured vocabulary, isn't meeting with the desired response, her choice of words adapts to find a language that makes sense to him. Her tactics to make some sort of deal for her release, sometimes denying and prevailing upon her captors better nature, other times admitting to everything, can change on a dime. Fuller's mind never seems to quit as she works every angle, looking for any opening or weakness that will put her back in control of situation where she should, by rights, have no measurable amount of power at all.

At the same time, Plemons' Teddy may have some unusual beliefs and is willing to engage in actions that the overwhelming majority of the population would never consider, but Lanthimos consistently treats him with respect. Before any of his radical opinions are explored in detail, he's first established as a relatively responsible member of the community in which he lives. He's dealing with some very difficult familial hardship. He genuinely and deeply cares for his cousin Don. He's not only concerned about the area in which he lives, but the world as a whole, and his meticulous efforts in beekeeping forward those concerns. By the time Teddy explicitly shares some of his unconventional beliefs at length and takes actions few would ever seriously contemplate, the viewer has already softened to him. We see him as a whole person, and not just some villainous crack-pot caricature.

Aiding these two powerhouse performances, in order to get the right look for Teddy's cluttered and rundown home, the house, which serves as the primary setting for the bulk of the film's scenes, was built from scratch. Complete with the basement where Stone's character spends much of her time, the 360-degree set truly allowed the actors to inhabit the world of their characters, and enabled Lanthimos and Cinematographer Robbie Ryan to shoot from virtually any angle they chose. This was also, in part, necessitated by the choice to employ VistaVision, the camera for which required much wider doorways to enter and maneuver about the home and its various rooms. Having a set that was fully built to their needs also meant the space could be lit like a standard home, and they could then rely on ambient light, which, again, opened up more shooting angles.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For Bugonia, Director Yorgos Lanthimos and Cinematographer Robbie Ryan chose to shoot in the 8-perf 35mm 1.50:1 VistaVision format with a Wilcam W11 VistaVision camera, often using spherical lenses, the impact of which can be seen and felt in almost every shot. A Mini VistaVison was also used. For dialogue-intensive shots, they also employed an Arricam Studio ST. The results are remarkable. Colors are bold, richly saturated, and incredibly lifelike. Take, for instance, the shots of the bees from the film's opening moments. The lavenders, purples, yellows, and greens are lush. This scene, which plays out under the voiceover about the bees, is brief, but gorgeous. Further, it gives viewers a solid understanding of what they can expect in terms of fine detail, as the extreme close-ups of the bees going about their business of gathering nectar and pollinating the flowers they visit are shown in exacting detail, with lifelike textures that vary from waxy to fuzzy. Teddy's house is likewise rich in detail and color, with the hodgepodge of random items that populate the main floor adding bursts of color, like the red rug, or signs of obvious age and wear, such as the wood flooring and cabinets. The same is true for the store where Teddy and Don shop for supplies; every item is precisely defined, and the primaries on the products' packaging pop in the store's dingy interior. Woods are warm and inviting with grain evident. Blacks are deep and inky, and whites can be quite brilliant, and neither presents with any issues. Skin tones are as realistic and as healthy as is appropriate for each actor's character. Every pore, freckle, and detail is visible on Emma Stone's face, as is every bead of sweat and strand of stubble of on that of Plemons. Fine grain is present and resolves naturally. It's a gorgeous transfer.

Please note that all screenshots are sourced from the included 1080p disc.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bugonia's Dolby Atmos track is immediately and relatively consistently immersive. Bees instantly surround the viewers, placing them in the middle of their activity as their buzzing swirls through the stage with excellent support from the heights as well. Dialogue is typically front and center and is always clean and understandable. Directionality is spot-on, and objects move realistically throughout the field, with specific and identifiable objects being easy to track. The excellent score from Jerskin Fendrix dazzles, and it's used to raise tension in the extended cat-and-mouse game between Stone's Michelle and Plemons' Teddy. Often playing an atmospheric role, when it's allowed to dominate the track, listeners can truly appreciate not only Fendrix' work, but the precise instrumentation, complete with bright and assertive horns, delicate and menacing strings, and powerful drums. Bass levels are substantive but never overpowering, and offer support to musical elements and sound effects both mundane and more surprising. It's a wonderful track that expertly supports the film without unnecessarily stealing attention from the on-screen action and dialogue, being more impressive than oppressive.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bugonia 4K is accompanied by one lone on-disc supplemental feature.

• The Birth and the Bees: The Making of 'Bugonia' (23.06) - Stars Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Alicia Silverstone, Director Yorgos Lanthimos, and others appear on camera and share their thoughts on the making of the film. Lanthimos shares his introduction to the project and how he quickly recruited Stone to work on it with him. Cast and crew discuss working with Lanthimos and each other, and of course, time is given to the visually dramatic shaving of Stone's head.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm glad I went into Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia knowing as little as I did. For those who can do likewise, the rewards are substantial, not just in terms of the overall plot, but for numerous small moments along the way, be they specific scenes, singular lines of dialogue, or the actors' character choices. The film itself is richly appointed with the unique and arresting visuals, unusual comedy, and fantastic performances for which the director's oeuvre is known. Shot on film and the recipient of a top-notch transfer, Bugonia looks fantastic and features an excellent Dolby Atmos track as the ideal accompaniment. While I would have appreciated a much more robust assortment of supplemental features, the inclusion of but a single, brief, "making of" segment is not sufficient to dampen my enthusiasm for the film. Bugonia 4K earns my highest recommendation.