Much has been made about how 2026 is an exciting year for sci-fi cinema, but there were some notable genre titles released last year as well. In 2025, sci-fi fans were treated to everything from new installments in major blockbuster franchises (Avatar: Fire and Ash) to long-gestating director passion projects (Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein) and everything in between. One of the best sci-fi films of the past year is Yorgo Lanthimos’ Bugonia, which follows a pair of conspiracy-crazed cousins who kidnap a powerful CEO because they believe she is an alien sent to destroy Earth. Bugonia wasn’t a smash hit in theaters ($17.6 million domestic; $43.5 million worldwide), but it cracked the Best Picture lineup, and now it’s a big draw on streaming.
For the week of April 27th-May 3rd, Bugonia was the No. 7 movie on Netflix in the United States, beating out the likes of Minions: The Rise of Gru and Zombieland: Double Tap to secure its spot on the chart. This was the first week Bugonia placed on Netflix’s top 10.
Hollywood history features several iconic actor/director pairings that consistently make great work whenever they get together. Many of Martin Scorsese’s best films star either Robert De Niro or Leonardo DiCaprio. Ryan Coogler has yet to make a movie without Michael B. Jordan by his side. The dynamic duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos has certainly earned its place amongst this kind of company. Bugonia marks the fourth feature film they’ve done, and it’s the fourth that was well-received. With the exception of anthology film Kinds of Kindness (which still earned positive reviews), all of the Stone/Lanthimos collaborations have been nominated for Best Picture, and Stone won Best Actress for her performance in Poor Things.
Bugonia didn’t net as many wins on the awards circuit as Poor Things did a few years back, but cinephiles should still add it to their Netflix watchlists. A remake of the South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, Bugonia tells the story of two conspiracy-crazed cousins who kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical company because they believe she is an alien sent to destroy Earth. In typical Lanthimos fashion, the film plays as a very dark comedy that embraces its absurdities while also implementing thriller and horror elements. The script by Will Tracy (which earned an Oscar nomination) feels timely in its commentary on the strangeness of the modern world.
A great concept only gets you so far, however. You also need a brilliant cast, and, fortunately, that’s the case with Bugonia. Stone is magnificent as always, brilliantly handling what in truth is a very tricky part to play. Bugonia hinges on Stone’s ability to keep the audience guessing on whether or not here character is actually an alien. But the real star of the show is Jesse Plemons, who was deserving of an Oscar nomination for his turn as Teddy, who spearheads the kidnapping plot. Like Stone, Plemons has to walk a fine line in his performance, finding the right amount of humanity in a person who is clearly doing something wrong. As Bugonia unfolds, Teddy is revealed to be a tragic figure; he isn’t just a “crazy” person we’re meant to observe and laugh at. Rounding out the main cast is Aidan Delbis, who delivers a compelling performance as Teddy’s autistic cousin Don.
While Bugonia was one of 2025’s best films, it certainly isn’t an easy watch. There’s a nasty, unsettling feel that underscores the whole thing. Unlike a comedy like Roommates or a throwback creature feature like Thrash, it’s not exactly the kind of “comfort viewing” Netflix subscribers like to throw on at the end of a long day. From that perspective, it’s nice to see something like Bugonia find success on the platform. The combination of an intriguing premise and strong performances helped propel it up the chart, as people wanted to see what all the Oscar buzz was about.
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