Jesse Plemons Can End A 26-Year-Old Oscar Streak In 2026

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As a huge cinema fan, I’m really excited to see all the buzz around the new Yorgos Lanthimos film, Bugonia, and another fantastic performance by Emma Stone! It feels like this one is going to be special – people are already predicting it’ll earn Lanthimos his third Best Director nomination, and the early reviews are absolutely glowing. That kind of critical praise can really carry a film through awards season, and it definitely seems like Bugonia has that momentum right now.

This is Lanthimos’ first time directly remaking another film – it’s based on the South Korean movie Save the Green Planet! – but it still has many of the unique stylistic choices we’ve come to expect from him, particularly in his original screenplays. For example, Bugonia is clearly a story that champions its female protagonist, which surprisingly makes even a seemingly bleak ending feel uplifting because of how it’s presented.

There’s a strong possibility that Bugonia and Kinds of Kindness exist in the same fictional world. Although Kinds of Kindness isn’t as strong a film in terms of its ideas or visual style, Bugonia is considered one of the director’s best. Jesse Plemons delivers a fantastic performance, continuing his working relationship with the director. If the film gains momentum during awards season, it could break a current losing streak.

Jesse Plemons Is The Antagonist In Bugonia

Jesse Plemons stars as Teddy, a man convinced that Emma Stone’s character—a powerful CEO—is actually an alien from the Andromeda galaxy with a mission to destroy the world. He enlists his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to help him try and contact the alien mothership he believes is about to arrive on Earth.

Okay, so things get really dark. They kidnap her, and almost right away, he shaves her head – he genuinely believes her hair is some kind of alien tracking device, a way for beings from Andromeda to communicate with her. Then it escalates; he starts torturing her, trying to get information about the aliens and what she’s supposedly doing here on Earth. The truly terrifying thing is, he’s completely convinced he’s doing the right thing, that his methods are justified. It’s chilling to watch because he has this unwavering belief in what he’s doing, no matter how awful it is.

Teddy is clearly the villain in Bugonia. While a surprising plot twist offers some insight into his motives, the movie makes it clear his actions are never truly excusable. He has a sad past, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s consistently acted as a villain, and he shows no regret for his behavior.

Will Tracy, the writer of Bugonia, has explained that while he thinks Teddy’s goals were justified, he doesn’t condone the way Teddy went about achieving them – there were more compassionate options available. As a result, Jesse Plemons plays a consistently antagonistic role in the film, and despite having a sad past, his character isn’t meant to evoke sympathy.

Plemons Is Expected To Be A Best Actor Nominee In 2026

Jesse Plemons delivers a truly unsettling and masterful performance as Teddy, and it’s likely to earn him an Oscar nomination. He perfectly captures the character’s disturbing duality – a chilling mix of human qualities and complete ruthlessness, even towards Don. Plemons is what makes Teddy such a terrifying and infuriating villain.

Jesse Plemons makes Teddy’s disturbing actions feel believable through his realistic delivery, emotionless body language, and intense gaze. The film’s understated humor depends on both Plemons and Emma Stone playing their roles completely straight – any laughter from them would ruin the atmosphere.

Jesse Plemons often excels at playing supporting roles that leave a lasting impression, as he did in recent films like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Many consider Bugonia to be one of his finest performances, and a Best Actor nomination seems highly likely.

Kevin Spacey Was The Last Person To Win Best Actor For Playing A Villain

In 2000, Kevin Spacey won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Lester Burnham in American Beauty, and that was the last time an actor playing a clear villain won the award. Joaquin Phoenix’s 2020 Oscar for Joker could be another exception to the usual pattern, but the film portrays the Joker character with a degree of sympathy.

As a film buff, I’ve noticed a real trend lately – incredible performances as villains getting the recognition they deserve at the Oscars. Think Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, J.K. Simmons’ terrifying instructor in Whiplash, Javier Bardem’s chilling presence in No Country for Old Men, and Christoph Waltz’s magnetic villain in Inglourious Basterds. Honestly, some of those are just all-time great Oscar-winning performances, and they prove that you don’t need to be the ‘good guy’ to take home the gold.

Since Kevin Spacey won in 2000, no actor portraying a clear villain has won the Best Actor Oscar. While Daniel Day-Lewis’ character in There Will Be Blood was complex, he wasn’t a typical villain. If Jesse Plemons wins in 2026, it will break a 26-year pattern of Oscar wins going to actors playing more heroic or ambiguous roles.

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2025-11-14 16:29