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

Based on the 2003 Korean film 'Save the Green Planet!', Director Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' arrives on 4K UHD disc in the 'Bugonia: Collector's Edition SteelBook 4K' 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 Blu-ray disc, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included. Please scroll down to the 'Special Features and Extras' section below for a discussion of the new SteelBook.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For comments regarding the 2160p transfer, please follow this link.

Bugonia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

To learn about the Dolby Atmos track that accompanies the film, please follow this link.

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

As a film, Bugonia features a number of striking and unusual shots and images, so it should come as no surprise that the design of its SteelBook does the same. Centered near the top of the cover, we find Teddy (Jesse Plemons) dressed in his ill-fitting and rumpled suit. Now possessing giant bee-like wings he hovers over the captive Michelle (Emma Stone). She is bound at the wrists and ankles, and is lying on her right side in the fetal position. Her head is shaved and she wears the familiar burgundy coat that is discolored by the application of antihistamine cream that has been smeared liberally and inelegantly over her skin. Her body lies atop a miniature Earth, while Teddy hovers in front of a massive full moon. The film's title stretches out vertically from the lower left corner. It's printed in the standard stylized font fans will recognize from the film and related publicity materials and posters. The background color for the cover, the spine, and the back cover is a mottled and imperfect beige. The spine features the film's title in the center with the Universal logo printed at the bottom. The back cover is dominated by the image of a chain arranged to form a perfect circle, around which eight phases of the moon are positioned at regular intervals. In the lower left corner, Universal's logo sits next to that of Focus Features, and a product number is located in the lower right corner. The SteelBook features a matte finish. There are no embossed, debossed, or spot-glossed elements.

Opening the SteelBook, the tabs on the left secure the Digital Copy. On the right side, the 4K UHD disc and the Blu-ray disc, each containing the same contents, are stagger-stacked, each on their own hub, with the 4K UHD disc on top. Removing all of these items exposes a two panel image that is reminiscent of cover. On the left, a captive Michelle looks heavenward, images of the surface of the Earth are superimposed over the exposed skin of her neck and face. On the right, Plemons, dressed in his finest, sports a grim expression and his eyes are cast slightly downward. The cratered and ominous moon is sightly visible through his head. Behind them both is the vastness of space, with a number of stars standing out against the darkness. On the whole, the SteelBook captures the strangeness and some of the important elements of the film rather well.

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

Going into Bugonia with as little foreknowledge as possible yields the greatest rewards, and while the SteelBook hints at certain ideas from the film, it does little to spoil it. From my perspective, the images selected will make little sense to those who have never seen the film but will be rather impactful to those who have. 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. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons certainly do amazing work here. 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. The film belongs on the shelf of every serious film fan, and in my opinion, this SteelBook is as unusual and beautiful as the film it holds. The Bugonia: Collector's Edition SteelBook 4K earns my highest recommendation.