**Director Yorgos Lanthimos Reflects on the Ambiguous Ending of *Bugonia***

Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest Focus Features film, *Bugonia*, takes audiences on an unusual journey that begins as a kidnapping thriller and evolves into something far stranger. The story centers on Teddy, a conspiracy-obsessed beekeeper portrayed by Jesse Plemons, who becomes convinced that powerful pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller—played by Emma Stone—is actually an alien embedded on Earth.

Teaming up with his cousin Don, Teddy abducts Michelle and confines her in a basement bunker, desperate to force a confession and save the planet from what he believes is an impending Andromedan invasion. Over several tense days, Teddy shaves Michelle’s head, interrogates her relentlessly, and weaves intricate theories about dying bees, corporate greed, and humanity’s precarious survival.

Michelle resists at first, bargaining and pushing back against Teddy’s delusions. Gradually, however, she begins to lean into them—and by the film’s final act (spoiler alert), she reveals that she really is an alien empress from Andromeda.

In a startling climax, Teddy straps a homemade bomb to his chest after Michelle promises to teleport him aboard her ship. When he steps into what he believes is a teleportation closet, the device detonates, killing him instantly. The film concludes with haunting images of a silent wave wiping out humanity, while other lifeforms—especially bees—thrive in the aftermath.

### Lanthimos on the Film’s Ending: Bleak or Hopeful?

The ambiguous nature of *Bugonia*’s ending has sparked diverse reactions among viewers. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Yorgos Lanthimos shared his perspective:

> “I’ve noticed that some people say, ‘Oh, it’s really dark and bleak, the ending,’ and then some other people find it very hopeful, because in a sense you don’t take it literally. It’s a film, and nature survives, and it kind of allows the hope of a second chance at everything restarting. So some people see it this way instead of it all ended. So I think it says things about the viewer themselves, how they feel in the end. And I think sometimes it might change. If it sticks in their head, maybe they think about it [later] and go like, ‘Yeah, maybe it is hopeful. It’s not that bleak, actually.’”

### A Strong, Nuanced Cast

The cast carries the film’s delicate balance between the unsettling and the empathetic. Emma Stone delivers a complex portrayal of Michelle, mixing icy detachment with moments of vulnerability. Jesse Plemons brings to life Teddy’s desperation and odd sympathy, while Aidan Delbis plays Don, Teddy’s manipulated cousin. Alicia Silverstone appears as Teddy’s mother, adding further depth to the story.

*Bugonia* also marks another collaboration between Lanthimos and Stone, following their work together on *The Favourite*, *Poor Things*, and *Kinds of Kindness*. The film continues their exploration of heightened, uncomfortable satire wrapped in genre elements.

Whether audiences leave feeling devastated or quietly reassured may reflect as much about their own outlook on life as the film’s vision of the future. For those who haven’t yet experienced *Bugonia*, be sure to catch it in theaters now, brought to you by Focus Features.
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/bugonia-director-shares-his-thoughts-on-the-films-suprise-ending/