A wildly entertaining psychological thriller, the film follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap a powerful CEO they believe is an alien out to destroy humanity. What begins as a paranoid act spirals into a battle of delusions and control—one as viscerally unpredictable as it is provocative.

BUGONIA also features mesmerizing performances by Stavros Halkias (Let’s Start a Cult, “Tires”), Aidan Delbis, Marc T. Lewis, Vanessa Eng, and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Batman & Robin). The mind-bending thriller of the year is cleverly co-produced by three-time Oscar-nominated producer Ed Guiney (Room, The Favourite), Emma Stone, and Ari Aster (Midsommar, Hereditary). Written by Will Tracy (“Succession,” The Menu) and scored by Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness) with a haunting soundtrack, the film questions the nature of truth itself, bridging social commentary and mainstream thriller.

For in-depth thoughts on Bugonia, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings Bugonia to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a glorious image befitting the director’s creative vision. Given the impressive production design on display, this is a movie that thrives on 4K UHD, and we are glad that Universal is correcting a mistake made by Searchlight Pictures, which released Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness only on Blu-Ray. The new 2160p HDR10 transfer takes what is already great about the accompanying Blu-Ray and finesses things to even more sumptuous heights. The film has a distinct aesthetic which is replicated perfectly on disc. Black levels are deep and inky, and any potential digital noise has been eliminated. Highlights are firm with no blooming to be found. The flesh tones are natural to their intended state with gentle nuances showcased well in close-ups and medium shots.

The image is clean with a bold and complex color palette saturating the screen. The film deploys splashes of vivid colors within the costumes and background elements, which makes for a striking image. The presentation provides an exceptional amount of depth on display, especially when contrasted with certain spaces. The details of each location are presented as distinctly sharp in all lighting conditions. The transfer makes things even more impressive when it comes to gains in depth of color, encoding, and crisp detail. Universal delivered a top-tier disc for fans.

Audio Quality

The Dolby Atmos track provides an immensely satisfying listening experience thanks to the addition of the overhead channels, which make the environments feel more all-encompassing. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever falling victim to overlapping voices or environmental noises. Everything is mixed perfectly with directionality deftly rendered across the expanded channel allotment. The sounds of the story provide a good amount of activity in the rear channels, and music adds texture in the low end. The score from Jerskin Fendrix does an ideal job of establishing the tone of the narrative, and this track fills the room in a truly transcendent way. Universal has provided a magnificent track that effectively brings this film to life. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Birth and The Bees – The Making of Bugonia: A 23-minute making-of documentary is provided that explores the production of the film from the gathering of the ensemble to the creation of various locales, the costumes, the makeup, and more.

Final Thoughts

Bugonia may be a remake of a Korean film, but there is no doubt that Yorgos Lanthimos has brought his distinct brand of weirdness to this take on the material. Visually, it is an astonishing bit of cinema that deftly transports you to a world that is just parallel to our own, which allows the satire to cut that much deeper and feel that much more relevant. Jesse Plemons has rarely been better than his astonishing turn here, and Emma Stone continues to prove that she is one of our most impressive modern actors. Everything from the themes to the technical execution comes together to create one of the better films of the year. Lanthimos is on a fantastic run in his career, and this does not slow that down one bit. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a spectacular A/V presentation and a welcome supplement. Recommended

Bugonia is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.