Bugonia's Screenwriter Discusses the Numerous Unexpected Twists of the Latest Sci-Fi Movie

Bugonia writer the writer doesn’t really remember what happens in the original Korean movie. That’s a bit of a surprise, since he penned the script for the director’s new adaptation of the original 2003 film. Rather than studying the source material for ideas, the screenwriter behind his previous work watched the film a single time, jotted down some thoughts, and began writing.

“I’ve only seen the original the one time,” Tracy explains. “I didn’t really remember the movie all that well. I didn't want to feel like I had to be faithfully adapting or remaking or honoring another filmmaker's work. The fairest thing to both films was to have them each stand on their own.”

While the premise of a mentally unstable man (Jesse Plemons in Bugonia) who abducts a business leader he’s certain is an alien in disguise is largely the same in each movie, the variations are notable. To start, Tracy rewrote the lead role, originally male in Jang Joon-hwan’s first version, as a female character. (The director chose his frequent collaborator the actress in the part.) The endings vary a bit too, in the way they tackle their shared core mystery: Is this person an alien in disguise or not?

The screenwriter feels that resolution is somewhat not the main focus.

“I wasn't really focused on the surprise element,” he comments. “I didn't want the film to just be a toy that does a single trick, and then once it does that surprise, it's like: Alright, so what's next?”

Nevertheless, Tracy has plenty to discuss on the subject. Our discussion with the writer covered Bugonia’s finale and what it all means, along with the ways he and Lanthimos collaborated to execute those surprises.

Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers follow for the ending of the movie.

So is Emma Stone an alien or not?

Short answer: Absolutely.

Similar to in the original film, the conclusion of this version discloses that the CEO, a big pharma CEO named her character, is actually a royal extraterrestrial in hiding. Once she manipulates her captor the unstable man (the actor) into ending his own life using her advanced device, she transports to her alien vessel.

The fact that this is unexpected is a testament to Stone’s acting skills. During the 118-minute film, she maintains suspense through a layered performance that may require multiple viewings to comprehend entirely.

“Emma talked a lot about how it was the first time she had to act where she felt she had to be aware of people watching the movie a second time. How those rewatching are going to perceive,” Tracy explains. "She was aware the second time someone sees this movie, They are aware I am conscious of… understand?”

He pauses, before adding, “Thus, her performance needed to reflect of that in her performance.”

Designing the aliens and their spaceship

After Stone’s character finally does reveal her real identity, we get a quick look of her spaceship and fellow aliens before the film concludes. Their vessel has a distinct appearance, which the writer shares was intended to look like a marine animal while avoiding high-tech visuals.

“[The director] was really interested in almost like a jellyfish-type design for the vessel, something very natural,” he says.

They should feel oddly somewhat primitive or ancient.

The aliens' clothing is just as interesting as their ship: rounded dress-like garments made from large, ropey threads. Again, the goal was to defy conventional science fiction.

“For the costumes, rather than being advanced, they [were meant to|aimed to] appear unusually kind of tribal or primitive, and yet also highly decorative and not primitive, because it's such an intricate and elegant creation on those strange knit costumes,” Tracy says. He adds that Lanthimos “viewed it as being a extremely old society. He wasn't into the notion of anything being sleek and silver, or some ultra-modern cosmic vision.”

The conclusion of the Earth (or only humankind)

Perhaps the most significant change between the new film and the original is that in the first version, the aliens respond to their leader's kidnapping and abuse by destroying planet Earth. This adaptation takes a slightly subtler approach, with its beings opting to snuff out all mankind, while leaving the Earth and its remaining creatures unharmed.

“My intention to do in the script was a vision of Earth after humanity,” Tracy says.

In the movie’s final moments, we see a sequence of scenes of existence across the planet. Every person are deceased where they were located moments earlier, but the world keeps spinning. How viewers, are supposed to make of all this is up for debate. Does the conclusion of Bugonia hopeful or pessimistic? Is humanity doomed or worth saving? Would the world be better off in our absence?

Tracy isn’t willing to offer a definitive answer in any direction.

“Some people find it to be a extremely dark ending, or a sad ending, a hopeless outcome,” he states. “Other people see it as being a oddly hopeful or happy ending. In my opinion there's different ways to understand it.”

Bugonia is in select cinemas now, with a wide release on Halloween.