With One Change, Bugonia Fixes Emma Stone’s Divisive 2024 Movie From The Same Director

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Emma Stone’s new film, Bugonia, is now in theaters and is quickly becoming a major awards contender. This is the fourth time she’s collaborated with director Yorgos Lanthimos, and their third project together in just three years. Bugonia had the biggest opening weekend of any film directed by Lanthimos, indicating it’s a hit with both moviegoers and critics.

Like many films by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia is already being praised by critics, earning an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a nice turnaround after his previous film, Kinds of Kindness, which received mixed reactions from viewers, despite performing well on streaming services. Bugonia seems to be hitting the mark with audiences, and deservedly so.

Unlike Kinds of Kindness, which the director co-wrote, Bugonia was written solely by Will Tracy, adapting the film Save the Green Planet! This difference might explain why audiences generally prefer Bugonia. Both movies share a dark and quirky sense of humor, but Bugonia delivers on what some viewers felt Kinds of Kindness lacked.

Emma Stone’s Characters in Kinds Of Kindness Are Punching Bags

Kinds of Kindness is a film told in three interconnected parts. All three explore the dark side of human nature, showing how easily people can fall into violence, fear, and moral decay when they become disillusioned. However, the movie is so relentlessly bleak and draining that it becomes emotionally exhausting, and by the end of the first section, the remaining two feel like a chore to get through.

Emma Stone appears briefly at the beginning of the story, but becomes a more important supporting character in the second chapter and the main character in the third. In the second chapter, titled “R.M.F Is Flying,” she plays Liz, a marine biologist who mysteriously returns after being lost on an expedition. She’s changed since she disappeared – even her shoes don’t seem to fit anymore.

Daniel (Jesse Plemons), her husband, grows increasingly unstable and forces her to harm herself for his own twisted pleasure, even consuming parts of her body, ultimately leading to her death. The story also hints that he previously abused her, causing a miscarriage. In the third chapter, titled “R.M.F. Eats A Sandwich,” Emma Stone portrays a member of a cult named Emily.

In Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, Emily is a member of a religious group that strictly emphasizes sexual purity and devotion. After being drugged and raped by her separated husband – who lured her over under the pretense of seeing their daughter – she is unjustly expelled from the group. The film culminates in a harsh and unsuccessful attempt by Emily to be reinstated.

Kinds of Kindness Has No Proper Emotional Release

The main problem with Kinds of Kindness is that it creates a lot of emotional tension but doesn’t offer any resolution. The ending feels very bleak and pessimistic. Throughout the second and third segments, Emma Stone’s characters experience constant hardship without finding a way out or getting any justice, and while you initially want them to succeed, the lack of a satisfying outcome ultimately becomes frustrating.

As a movie fan, I was really disturbed by how the film dealt with Emily’s rape and its aftermath. Seeing her struggle with the consequences felt wrong, and it was incredibly frustrating to watch her unintentionally kill the one person who could have offered her a way back to the cult. But honestly, what really got to me was realizing she was trying to go back to the very group that had ostracized her for being assaulted – it just felt so tragic and misguided.

Bugonia Gives Emma Stone’s Character A Satisfying Ending

©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

In the film Bugonia, Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller, a businesswoman who is kidnapped by two men, Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis). Teddy believes Michelle is an alien, and he and Don hold her captive in their basement, shaving her head and subjecting her to torture. Though Michelle insists she’s not an alien, the film’s conclusion reveals Teddy’s belief to be true, though the reveal isn’t particularly surprising.

Despite being correct about the alien, the film makes it clear the main character is not a hero. He only figured it out by harming and killing others while searching for proof. Bugonia makes sure we understand he’s a villain, even if his suspicions turn out to be true. Throughout the movie, you’ll find yourself supporting Emma Stone’s character instead.

Unlike Kinds of Kindness, where the ending feels incomplete, Bugonia delivers a truly satisfying resolution. Emma Stone’s character, Michelle Fuller, ultimately turns the tables on Teddy, using his imprisonment to secure her own freedom. Then, she uses that freedom to finally get revenge on him. The film effectively pays off the audience’s growing frustration with Teddy, culminating in a powerful and rewarding climax.

Bugonia’s Ending Feels Happy and Deserved

Despite the devastating ending of Bugonia – where Michelle destroys all human life – Lanthimos, Stone, and Plemons argue it’s not ultimately a sad one. After escaping Teddy and taking control, Michelle’s actions feel like a natural and even satisfying conclusion, given the trauma she endured.

In a pivotal moment, Michelle reveals to Teddy that the Andromedans generously helped restore life on Earth after the dinosaurs died out – they populated the planet with creatures similar to themselves. However, Teddy’s distrust and closed-mindedness – choosing to torture Michelle instead of listening – ultimately leads to humanity’s demise, ironically feeling like a positive outcome.

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2025-11-08 00:21