Hollywood star Emma Stone once again proved her unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences, as her latest film Bugonia debuted at the Venice Film Festival, earning a rapturous six-minute standing ovation.
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia tells the disturbing story of a female CEO (played by Stone) who is kidnapped and tortured by an employee (Jesse Plemons), under the suspicion that she is not human but an alien. The unsettling psychological thriller — adapted from the 2003 South Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet — pushes boundaries with scenes that left festivalgoers gasping, covering their eyes, and ultimately applauding its bold vision.
Despite heavy rain, crowds gathered eagerly outside the venue, chanting Emma Stone’s name as she and Plemons walked the red carpet. Once inside, the screening culminated in a wave of thunderous applause.
Stone, visibly moved, teared up as she bowed alongside Lanthimos and the cast. At one point, she even laughed through misty eyes upon spotting a cheeky sign from a fan asking, “Emma, will you dance with me?”
Bugonia marks the fourth collaboration between Stone and Lanthimos, following The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness. Two of those projects earned Stone Academy Awards for Best Actress. With critics already buzzing, industry insiders are asking: Could Bugonia bring Emma Stone her third Oscar?
