Ah, Venice. The Lido's got that salty breeze cutting through the August heat, crowds milling about with badges dangling, and then—bam—there's this poster slapping you in the face. Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia. Emma Stone's eyes peering up, her head a melting mess of crimson and gold, like someone's poured a breakfast apocalypse over her skull. Shaved bald, mouth agape, honey—or is it something worse?—cascading down. It's grotesque. Hypnotic. And yeah, it's turning heads, mine included, as I dodged festival-goers snapping pics.
I've chased Lanthimos' films across festivals for years now—Cannes for The Lobster, TIFF for Poor Things—and the man knows how to weaponize visuals. This poster? Pure '70s sci-fi fever dream. Think Logan's Run crashed into The Andromeda Strain, but with that Lanthimos edge: meticulous, unsettling, like he's peeling back your comfort zone one drip at a time. Stone's front and center, co-leading with Jesse Plemons, and if the imagery's any clue, we're in for a conspiracy thriller wrapped in alien paranoia. Two guys kidnap a CEO, convinced she's an extraterrestrial hell-bent on Earth's doom. Remake of the 2003 South Korean cult hit Save the Green Planet!, but Lanthimos-style—expect deadpan humor clashing with body horror, production design so precise it hurts.
Behind the scenes? Word is, Lanthimos reunited with his Kinds of Kindness producers at Element Pictures, shooting across Ireland, South Korea, Canada, and the US. No heatwave sweat here, but that poster's got a tactile ooze that feels lived-in, sticky. Alicia Silverstone pops up too, adding that Clueless nostalgia twist to the cast—Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias rounding it out. And the buzz? It's real. Spotted right by headquarters, as reported on World of Reel, it's got folks whispering about trailers dropping soon.
Me? I'm torn. Loved the audacity—gorgeous, grating, gorgeous again. But part of me groans at the tease; Lanthimos posters always promise the moon, or in this case, a melting head. Still, as a sci-fi disciple who's binged everything from Alien to Under the Skin, this hits that sweet spot of dread and delight. Conflicting, sure. Human.
Anyway. Where were we? Oh yeah—the premiere. Catch it August 28 at 19:00 in competition, Venice Film Festival. Then Deauville on September 6, wide release October 31 in the US. Mark your calendars… or don't, but you'll miss out. What's your take—creepy cool or over-the-top? Drop a comment; let's chat before the Golden Lion roars.
The Melting Visage That Sticks: Emma Stone's bald, honey-drenched stare on the Bugonia poster isn't just eye candy—it's a visceral hook that screams Lanthimos' love for the bizarre, already fueling festival chatter.
Sci-Fi Roots with a Twist: Drawing from a 2003 Korean gem, this remake amps the conspiracy vibes into something uniquely unsettling, blending '70s aesthetics with modern paranoia.
Cast Chemistry on Display: Stone and Plemons lead, but Silverstone's addition brings a dash of '90s flair—expect sparks in this 120-minute ride.
Festival Momentum Building: Premiering August 28 at Venice, then hitting Deauville September 6, Bugonia's positioning it as a Golden Lion contender, no doubt.
Release Radar Alert: Hitting theaters October 31, just in time for Halloween—perfect for Lanthimos' brand of oddball terror.
For more on the lineup, check the official Venice page here.
