Paul Dano is truly a very gifted actor who has blown us away with his performances. Overall, his work, including the time he played multiple roles in There Will Be Blood, has been praised. However, Quentin Tarantino made waves when he slammed the actor’s work in the Paul Thomas Anderson flick, calling him “weak sauce.” Now, Poor Things' Yorgos Lanthimos has offered his take on the controversial moment, saying we “don’t have to pile on” the Oscar-winning filmmaker.

On The Louis Theroux Podcast, Poor Things filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos touched on how Quentin Tarantino will not only see anything in theaters, but say anything too. After the podcast host brought up the Pulp Fiction director taking shots at Paul Dano's acting on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, the Greek director decided not to “pile on” Tarantino for this particular reason:

The Favourite director makes a fair point. Many celebrities have defended Paul Dano, like The Batman’s Matt Reeves, who called him “an incredible actor,” and Ciarán Hinds, who found “creativity” in Dano playing two parts in There Will Be Blood.

Paul Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood truly was powerful, unsettling, and very worthy of applause. We saw him first introduced in the period drama as the rationalist Paul Sunday, who drives the movie into motion by tipping Daniel Plainview on an oil deposit. This brings Daniel to meet Paul’s twin brother Eli, who is a frantic preacher involved in a power struggle against Daniel. Seeing the contrast Dano brought in his two characters and the transitional range he displayed between them is worth remembering.

However, the Little Miss Sunshine actor being called the “weakest fucking actor in SAG” by Tarantino is the opinion of one filmmaker and not a universal truth. You could argue that Lanthimos's not wanting to focus on the Kill Bill director’s comments is his way of not allowing that critique to define the hard work and energy Paul Dano put into his work or erase the impact of his BAFTA-nominated performance.

Now, rather than Paul Dano adding fuel to the fire about Tarantino’s commentary, his reaction to the filmmaker’s words was more directed at those who were by his side through it all. At the 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine, he said he was “incredibly grateful” people stood up for him so that he wouldn’t have to do that himself. With that kind of support behind him, there’s no reason to allow one harsh comment to outweigh the appreciation he received from those who admired his work.

We can learn from Yorgos Lanthimos in not having to “pile on” Quentin Tarantino or any critic for their negative remarks towards an actor's work. Compared to giving any critic power over their opinion, we can focus instead on the range Dano brings to each of his roles and celebrate all that he’s brought to the big screen.

With all that being said, you can craft your own opinion about this debate by watching There Will Be Blood with a Paramount+ subscription or a Peacock subscription.

Emma Stone hit a new category of beloved by Hollywood this week when she earned two 2026 Oscar nominations for Bugonia. Her new nods officially broke the record for the youngest woman to have seven nominations at 37 – surpassing Meryl Streep, who previously held the record. Funny enough, in the same week, the internet has been cackling over a resurfaced iCarly clip from when she guest-starred on the Nickelodeon comedy.

Yes, Emma Stone was on iCarly back in 2012 (around the same time she was making The Amazing Spider-Man). Check out the moment below:

What a random clip to go viral as she gets Oscars love! Stone was in Season 6, Episode 9 of the series as a superfan of the titular web series who invades all personal space of the main characters to get a selfie with each of them during her freakout. In one especially LOL moment, she yells for Gibby, who they say is in the bathroom, and she runs in to meet him, too. Then, she dives right onto their table before security takes her away.

The hilarious scene was posted on X this week when one account asked about TV fans’ "favorite celebrity cameo”. The throwback clip has already amassed over 5 million views in just a few days on the social media platform, with tons of comments discussing Stone’s funny appearance. Check out some of the reactions below:

• “this was my introduction to emma stone” - @nertball
• “The way she acted her butt off for ICARLY LOL” - @RunnerEyeYT
• “that’s when yorgos lanthimos knew” - @luuider
• “And people said Emma Stone started taking on weird acting roles recently” - @GlazedHamBoy2
• “One thing I love about Emma stone is her freak out acting 😭” - @shannyretro
• “i could watch this a million times and never get bored. emma really is a tour de force” - @ecl_wn

Oh, sometimes I love the internet. As of late, Emma Stone has been known for taking a lot of “weird” roles, especially alongside filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, but a lot of people commented on how it kind of all started with iCarly. Listen, Emma Stone has always been funny, and started in comedy with early movies like Superbad and Easy A. So, I don’t think this side of Stone should surprise anyone, but it’s still so much fun to see her in this cameo after she’s been doing so many critically acclaimed movies as of late.

Emma Stone is up for Best Actress at the Oscars this year for the dark comedy Bugonia, which she totally shaved her head for. The movie is a remake of a South Korean film, but Stone’s character was gender swapped in the Hollywood version.

Her fellow nominees are Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. Her movie Bugonia was also nominated for Best Picture (which counts for her second nomination this year since she’s a producer on the film).

The movie is also competing for Best Score and Best Adapted Screenplay. However, ever since the nominations came out, people have been pointing out how her co-star Jesse Plemons was snubbed for Best Actor. You can catch the Oscars on Sunday, March 15.

Meanwhile, I'll be watching this unhinged clip from iCarly again.

I have been personally shaving my head for a few years, and while I'm now completely used to the process, it took me a long time to build up the nerve to do it. Even after sporting a buzz cut for a while, I couldn't be totally sure what it would look like with my hair totally gone – either in terms of my skull shape or with my scalp. This in mind, I love the revelation that Emma Stone wasn't alone in chopping off all her hair for the making of Bugonia, as doing so was part of a solidarity pact that she made with director Yorgos Lanthimos.

In an interview with People about the making of the new science-fiction thriller/dark comedy, Emma Stone spoke about the conditions she put on the table when it came to the discussion of her shaving her head, and part of the deal was that she wouldn't be alone in losing her locks. If the two-time Academy Award winner was going to expose her scalp to the world, she wanted her director and frequent collaborator to do it also. She explained,

In Bugonia, Emma Stone's head is shaved on screen by co-stars Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, but when it came time for Yorgos Lanthimos' special haircut, Stone was the one wielding the clippers. The one problem? Because the filmmaker's hair was far shorter than Stone's, she didn't get quite the satisfaction out of the experience that she had hopped. She added,

I suppose it would have been more satisfying for Stone if the film was made by a female director... but that would mean Bugonia not being the latest collaboration between the actress and Lanthimos, and I'm of the opinion that given their track record (including The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds Of Kindness) they should continue making movies together forever.

The 2025 film, of course, doesn't just have Emma Stone shave her head as a stunt – it's an important part of the movie. In Bugonia, the aforementioned Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis play a pair of conspiracy theorists who believe that Stone's character is an extraterrestrial who has been manipulating society on Earth. Part of their belief is that her hair is used as a means of communication with her people, hence why they feel the need to shave her head. It's quite (purposefully) ridiculous, and it's really just the starting line for the feature's madness.

Following its debut in theaters this fall, Bugonia is now available for home viewing via digital rental/purchase, and the physical media release is coming just before Christmas (with the 4K UHD and Blu-ray dated for December 23). If you haven't seen it, you absolutely should: for one, you should avoid spoilers while you can, and also, you're missing out on some of the best performances of the year.

I knew when I left the theater that I really liked Bugonia, but it’s not always easy to predict which movies are going to linger in my mind for days (or longer) after seeing them. Well, it's been days, and I'm still thinking about this movie. What's more, I'm beginning to think that I might need to change my personal star rating for the new 2025 movie from Yorgos Lanthimos.

Spoiler alert: This article contains major spoilers from Bugonia! If you haven't seen the movie, I strongly suggest turning back now (and I definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you like your movies a little bit weird. If you're still on the fence, read Eric Eisenberg's spoiler-free Bugonia review.)

My Original Star Rating Was Pretty High

In terms of my own personal star rating for Bugonia, I initially gave the movie 4 out of 5 stars, which for me is a solid rating. In 2025, I think the only movie I've given a full 5 stars is Sinners. The year's not over, so that could change, but Bugonia is already standing out to me as one of those movies that clings to my mind and doesn't want to let go – fortunately, in a good way. In fact, I'm at the point where I'm thinking of upping that number to 4.5, or possibly even 5.

A Lot Of It Has To Do With The Ending

The only major promotion I'd seen about Bugonia before seeing the movie was one trailer, and I remembered one of my takeaways being, "Wait, is she actually an alien?" Rewatching the trailer after seeing the movie, I don't know that I'd say that it gives that away, but when I first saw it, it did leave me wondering if maybe there was some truth to these kidnappers' wild accusations. In fact, that was part of the reason I wanted to see the movie. Well, that and hearing it described as a "bonkers dark comedy."

While watching the actual movie, it became clearer and clearer to me that Jesse Plemons' character Teddy – who has experienced serious trauma in his life – is mentally unstable, and combined with how convinced he is by his theories, is acting violently and irrationally, all under the belief that it's for the good of humanity.

In addition to the implications of previous kidnappings and experiments on potential aliens before they took Michelle, he actually injects antifreeze into his comatose mother's IV drip, believing it's a cure. And yet, even as we saw her monitors begin to flatline, I wasn't ruling out the possibility that Emma Stone's Michelle Fuller might still be an alien who had given him a magical cure for his mom.

When he straps himself with explosives and steps into a closet in the hopes of getting beamed up to the mothership (only to get blown up), I still wasn't ruling out the possibility that Michelle was an alien. Because... well, two things can be true. Just because Teddy is a violent kidnapper with shovel-murdering, explosive-wearing tendencies doesn't mean Michelle isn't also an alien, right?

This Movie Was A Puzzle From The Start

I don't know if that's supposed to be the general mindset of the audience by the end of the movie, but this one felt like a puzzle to solve from the beginning, and I was curious to see what the whole picture looked like. The not-knowing about Michelle's true nature was one of the things I liked from beginning to end. In my mind, despite knowing early on that Teddy wasn't the hero of this story, to me, the truth about Michelle had to come from her for me to believe it whatever the truth actually was – and her answers prior to the moment she returns to that closet weren't convincing me one way or the other.

I'm also still processing the aliens' decision to flip that species-ending switch and take humanity off the board (but leaving other living creatures to go about their earthly business). The outcome was Teddy and his cousin Don's worst fears realized, which some might argue justifies their suspicions, at the very least... but Teddy was wrong about major parts of the conspiracy, and even if he hadn't been, his belief in the presence of aliens doesn't justify the things he did.

I think I'm going to leave my rating at a 4.5 for now, but it's possible it'll end up one of the few 2025 movies I consider 5 out of 5 stars. Not only do I want to think about it more, but I also want to watch it again at some point in the (hopefully) near future when it’s among the newer movies available streaming to see what other things pop out to me now that I know how it all turns out.

Bugonia marks the fourth feature that Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos have made together… but that’s only because of a vital change that was made during the film’s development. The 2025 movie is a remake of the 2003’s Save The Green Planet! from Korean filmmaker Jang Joon-hwan, and among the deviations from the original is a gender-swapped antagonist – which is the character played by Stone. It’s a fascinating choice that ends up having significant consequences on the storytelling, and it was one the filmmakers opted to make for a multitude of reasons.

In the film, a pair of conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis) execute a plan to kidnap a pharmaceutical CEO (Stone) whom they believe is an alien in disguise. The fact that it’s two men abducting a woman impacts both the relationships between the characters and external perspectives on the circumstance – meaning that sexual dynamics are in play, and the door is open for the conversation about misogyny that’s frequently mixed into conspiracy thinking in the modern age. I brought this up while virtually interviewing screenwriter Will Tracy and Yorgos Lanthimos earlier this month during the Bugonia press day, noting the fact that the male leads decide to chemically castrate themselves, and Tracy discussed the impact of the gender swap:

In terms of perspectives on sexuality, Bugonia and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things actually feature some interesting contrasts. In the 2023 film, Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter is liberated by her sexuality, and it leads her to explore the grandness of humanity and our world. In Bugonia, Jesse Plemons’ Teddy Gatz understands himself as a slave to sexual urges, and he makes the decision to chemically castrate both himself and Aidan Delbis’ Don so that they aren’t at “risk” of seduction during their mission.

But sexuality is only one part of it. Without giving too much away, one of the primary reasons that Teddy is doing what he is doing is because of his relationship with his mother (Alicia Silverstone), and that colors the crime in its own way. Will Tracy also brought up the “optics” of the situation, as the world is obviously going to look at the abduction of a woman by two male kidnappers differently than they would the abduction of a man. He continued,

That’s a lot… but there is even more to it as well. “CEO of a pharmaceutical company” is a job disproportionately (albeit not exclusively) held by men, and Will Tracy liked the idea of not making what could be perceived as the most obvious choice for the character. He added,

Care to find out? After earning critical acclaim from its festival debuts this fall, Bugonia arrived in limited theaters this past weekend, but it is expanding to wide release just in time for Halloween this Friday (and it’s a fitting screening option, if you’re curious).

As one of the most recognizable actresses on the planet, Emma Stone is more than a little used to being smack dab in the public eye. So when it comes to avoiding immediate spoilers involving big changes to her features, some effort is required. So it went for her latest team-up with director Yorgos Lanthismos, the trippy paranoia fest Bugonia that’s been winning over critics since premiering earlier in the 2025 movie schedule. Her performance didn’t end on the screen, either, thanks to her then-newly shaved head.

Following the production of Bugonia, Stone took it upon herself to keep her new ‘do, or lack there of, hidden from public knowledge, as not to give away the drastic alteration too soon. Speaking with People, the Oscar-winning actress says because there were “no pictures or candids” were taken on the set of the film, she was inspired to hide her bald look for as long as possible, thinking, “Why not keep this up for a little bit?”

She explained how her and Lanthimos’ previous collaboration Poor Things helped inspire her desire to keep audiences from seeing her specific look ahead of the trailer’s release, saying:

Bella's look was indeed a distinct one for the Superbad vet, but I think most would agree that her scalpy look in Bugonia is even more startlingly distinct. The change is made all the more effective by the director actually having filmed her head being shaved, a process that had Stone going into panic mode.

Part of the hide-the-head effort included wearing beanies for three months straight, and I can understand why that wasn’t the most comfortable way to avoid fessing up. Especially during the earlier period when she wasn’t necessarily loving how the look felt. That feeling thankfully dissipated though, and Stone grew more accustomed to her lighter than usual locks.

Of course, beanies weren't the only way that she kept her head from making headlines. As she told Stephen Colbert during her recent visit to The Late Show (where she awkwardly forgot it was canceled), she did attempt to make a wig work for a premiere event, but essentially sabotaged herself in the process. As she put it:

Pro tip: if you don't want anyone to know you're wearing a wig, it's best not to even say the word wig, even in other contexts such as "wigging out because you can't stop talking about your wig."

With stellar performances from Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, Bugonia is worth watching for way more than just seeing Emma Stone without any of her usual hair. It's a twisty and twisted story about what happens when conspiracy theorists go too far. It hits theaters on Friday, October 31.

The rise of Emma Stone has been a remarkable thing to witness over the last 20 years. It’s not easy for an actress to stand out as a romantic interest in a boy-centric party comedy, but that’s exactly what she managed to do starring opposite Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in 2007’s Superbad, and her cinematic journey since then has been special to follow. 2010’s Easy A proved that she had true star potential, and while she has had some duds on her resume since then (find me an actor who doesn’t have at least a few), 2016’s La La Land affirmed her as a true A-lister – but her collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos has sent her into a new stratosphere.

The run of The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds Of Kindness is unequivocally one of the greatest filmmaker/actor collaborations in modern Hollywood, with the Greek writer/director able to consistently push the range of his star. And while they will be henceforth immensely challenged to outdo their 2023 dark comedy riff on Frankenstein that is Poor Things, their streak of outstanding joint work has continued to expand in 2025 with Bugonia. It’s not their best movie together, but that’s more reflective of a high quality bar than anything else: it’s a story with some organic flaws, but it’s an intimate and tremendous actor showcase that very much has its finger on the pulse of our current world despite being based on another film that is over 20 years old.

A remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save The Green Planet! from filmmaker Jang Joon-hwan, Bugonia also reunites Lanthimos with Kinds of Kindness’ Jesse Plemons – who stars as conspiracy theorist Teddy Gatz. Being terminally online and having suffered a number of personal tragedies, Teddy is convinced that the world is being secretly manipulated by an alien species called Andromedans, who live alongside us disguised as humans, and he has a plan to fix everything. Fully committed to the cause, he successfully enlists his autistic cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) on a key mission: he wants to kidnap pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), whom he is convinced is an extraterrestrial who can set up a meeting between him and the Andromedan emperor.

The abduction is a success, as Teddy and Don capture their target without being seen, bring her to their shared home, and lock her up in her basement. With Michelle’s head shaved – her hair supposedly usable for communication with her species – and her body covered in ointment that is supposed to limit her alien abilities, she tries to convince her captors that she is a normal human being, but between Teddy’s extreme obsession and Don’s quiet acceptance of the plan, it’s an uphill battle with extremely high stakes.

Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis make a tremendous on screen pair with a fascinating dynamic.

To really dig into Emma Stone’s brilliant work, one must first discuss and respect the tremendous performances from Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis (the latter making his big screen debut with the feature). Teddy is our protagonist in this tale, bringing Don along as the audience surrogate into his tangled web of conspiracies and cosmic puppeteering, and it’s a fascinating dynamic that is handled with both authority and elegance by the actors. If Teddy lived down the street from you, you’d most definitely register him as an oddball to keep at a distance, but his confidence in his research is also charismatic and magnetic… much to the detriment of Don, who registers the moral implications of what they are doing and questions the legitimacy of the reasoning, but also needs the companionship and approval of the only other person in his life.

It’s sad (especially because of how accurately it serves as a metaphor for so many lives in the current stage of the internet age), but it’s also darkly hilarious – which is principally a credit to the male stars. Plemons consistently keeps a blend of grief and anger behind Teddy’s eyes, but the way in which he presents his outrageous convictions with such conviction is incredibly funny at times (This is a man who believes that he has successfully rendered a full 3D model of the Andromedan ship). Delbis, meanwhile, is a wonderful foil, offering remarkable reactions drenched in incredulity as Teddy spews nonsense, but also projecting a wonderful innocence and supportiveness that says everything about the character.

Emma Stone is nothing less than unbridled excellence.

A film needs a real ass-kicker to go up against the energy on the nutball side of the story – but I suppose that just means that cinephiles everywhere should once again be grateful that Emma Stone has clicked so well with Yorgos Lanthimos. It wasn’t really that long ago that she was on screen making tiramisu in home ec and throwing a house party with her parents out of town, but now she has the capacity to be a full-on wrecking ball. Simple stills from Bugonia showcase her commitment to the unglamorous performance – her head shaved, her skin slathered with white cream, and most of her scenes set in a dank basement – but Teddy and Don’s efforts to suppress Michelle’s ability can’t subdue the awesome of Stone.

I noted Teddy as the film’s protagonist earlier, which is the reality in the classic sense of the word, but Stone has Michelle effectively wrestle Plemons’ character for that title with her turn. She is clearly to be reckoned with from the start, as a badass montage in the first act sees her executing a diligent exercise and health routine before turning everyone’s heads as she makes her way in for a normal day of work, and her power only becomes more apparent once she has been taken. Following her capture, she delivers a monologue methodically laying out the serious trouble in which the men have found themselves with the abduction – offering the tenor of a dead serious board meeting – and when Teddy admits in reaction that the speech put him on his heels, the audience can wholly empathize.

Michelle is very smart (much smarter than both Teddy and Don), and watching Stone calculate her circumstances, execute a stratagem, deal with the consequences, and repeat is a constant delight – shifting from stoking fear, to placating, to bargaining, and on. They have her at a disadvantage physically, but the actress is effortlessly compelling in her efforts to outthink her captors.

Bugonia has a great deal going for it, but the plot is also naturally flawed.

The escalating tensions between the three principal characters and the performances from the stars are what make Bugonia worth seeking out on the big screen, with Lanthimos’ unique sensibilities ever accentuating the bizarre – with intense close-ups, stark black-and-white flashbacks that push the pedal down on the fantastical, and interludes depicting a flat Earth counting down the days to the next lunar eclipse (when the Andromedan ship will be within range for contact). There is, however, also an inherent flaw in the storytelling that the movie can’t quite transcend, and it has the effect of both limiting the director’s ability to go full-bore weird and preventing it from effectively get across what is a mostly great commentary about our internet-fried world. I can’t say much more about it in this spoiler-free space, but it can be said that there ends up being a bit of a letdown in the third act, and you can see it coming right from the very start of the film.

Bugonia is an off-beat comedy that is fittingly arriving in late October (it will make for a fine cinematic experience on Halloween, when it goes into wide release), and while it’s not Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos at the top of their game, it is nonetheless a fine reminder of their excellence and how well they match as collaborators. Both are presently amongst the greatest talents in their respective fields, and their latest only furthers the case for that argument.

Movie magic seems to happen when filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone come together — as proven by the Academy Awards and other critical acclaim earned by Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness and The Favourite. Coming soon to the 2025 film calendar is their fourth collaboration, Bugonia. Critics have seen the absurdist comedy, and they are singing the praises of the lead actress.

Emma Stone stars as Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, who gets kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who shave her head because they’re convinced she’s an alien intent on destroying Earth. Some of our CinemaBlend movie experts attended early screenings, and they’re calling Bugonia just as weird as they hoped while fully recommending this bonkers dark comedy.

Meanwhile, Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gives the movie 4 out of 5 skulls, praising the update of the 2003 South Korean flick Save the Green Planet! from Jang Joon-Hwan as “timely.” Yorgos Lanthimos’ version gives an even more cynical prognosis about humanity’s future, Navarro says, writing:

Nick Schager of Daily Beast also calls out the timeliness of the movie amid present-day irrationality and dishonesty, and gives high praise to Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. With both delivering year-best performances, according to the critic, Stone continues her remarkable run as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. Schager says:

Ross Bonaime of Collider rates Bugonia an 8 out of 10, saying you’ll need a rewatch to fully appreciate Emma Stone’s performance. Jesse Plemons is the perfect addition to what the critic says is one of the best director-actress combos possibly ever, resulting in “one of the strangest, absurd, and darkest comedies you'll see this year.” Bonaime continues:

Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com says Bugonia is an enraged picture, but the scope of that anger is deliberately revealed throughout the movie’s 118 minutes. It’s not a perfect movie, but it leaves its mark, the critic says. He gives it 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing:

Matt Donato of IGN gives it a “Mediocre” 5 out of 10, acknowledging its stellar cast, but saying in a film that tries to balance barbed sci-fi themes and conspiracy looniness funneled through Lanthimos’ trademark quirks, Bugonia fails to stick the landing. Donato writes:

Whether or not this will go down as one of Emma Stone’s best movies remains to be seen, but it sounds pretty universally agreed upon that she and Yorgos Lanthimos are a powerhouse combo — with Jesse Plemons welcome anytime.

Bugonia will see a limited release that begins today, October 24, before opening wide on Friday, October 31.

When it comes to upcoming horror movies hitting theaters this month, I’ll be honest, I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by the choices, especially if you consider the only big release from the genre is The Black Phone 2. So many great horror movies have already come out pre-Halloween among the 2025 movie releases. However, I just got to see Yorgos Lanthimos’ new movie with Emma Stone Bugonia, and I can’t recommend making it your Halloween movie outing.

Why I Think You Should Add Bugonia To Your Spooky Season Watchlist

If you’ve followed Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos ongoing movie partnership, you probably expect something offkilter out of Bugonia already. However, I think there’s a fine line when it comes to “weird” movies for me, because I don’t want to be transported so much into a wild plotline that it loses me. I’m happy to report that Bugonia is absolutely the right kind of weird. While it’s more of a dark comedy than a horror movie, I totally want to revisit it for Halloween, and suggest fellow movie fans opt for the same.

I don’t want to get too into the weeds about the movie because it was fun for me to sort of go into blind, but I do want to pitch you on why I liked it so much. The basic premise of Bugonia is that Emma Stone plays the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company who gets kidnapped by one of the low-ranking employees of her business because he suspects her to be an alien who is causing the everyday calamity on Earth. Jesse Plemons beautifully plays the conspiracy theorist who has abducted her and made sure her head is shaved (yes, Stone shaved her head for real) so she can’t contact her race.

Obviously there’s a certain amount of ridiculousness to the plot as is, but I was really impressed about how Bugonia balances being this grounded movie about the current state of humanity with providing plenty of comedic moments. It’s one of those WTF movies, as I expected, but I was particularly impressed by how it’s a lot more accessible to audiences than other Lanthimos movies, like let’s say the director’s last movie, Kinds Of Kindness.

And for the horror fans out there. It’s definitely horrifying enough to satisfy your wants to be haunted during the spooky season. It was just as effective and actually felt like a thriller a lot more than I expected it might.

I Saw Bugonia At Focus Features’ Inaugural Fan-Centric Film Festival

I saw Bugonia when CinemaBlend was invited to attend the first-ever FocusFest at the Universal Backlot in Los Angeles, California. The all-day event allowed cinephiles to feel like they were in a film festival with retrospective viewings of The Big Lebowski and Promising Young Woman, along with advanced screenings for Bugonia and Obsession. As a huge movie fan myself, I was impressed with what the new festival had to offer, which included complementary themed food, refreshments, activations and a custom bowling shirt a la The Big Lebowski.

Focus Features is behind a lot of modern classics, like Dazed And Confused, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Lost In Translation, Brokeback Mountain and Pride & Prejudice, so I can definitely see how FocusFest could continue to happen yearly in Los Angeles and draw the city in by showing more of its beloved titles alongside their new releases. It was so much fun to see this movie alongside other movie fans for the first time, and early! You can check out Bugonia in theaters on October 31 (or during its limited release the week before).

As someone who has seen almost all of Yorgos Lanthimos’s movies, I have come to expect and appreciate his special brand of weirdness. It’s a strangeness that I find charming and exciting. Therefore, I was extremely excited to get to see his latest film, Bugonia, early at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival. It met and exceeded my expectations.

I think it may be one of my favorite Lanthimos movies and one of his best. I know some may find that statement controversial, but I really enjoyed how it was more grounded (somewhat) in reality than many of his previous films. It was also less ambiguous than some of my other favorites from the director. I also really enjoy a good movie where the two leads are equally terrible.

Warning: Bugonia spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Thought Of Bugonia As A Villain Vs. Villain Story

Some may classify the leads of Bugonia as antiheroes, and they may have some of the same characteristics as iconic antiheroes, but I see Michelle (Emma Stone) and Teddy (Jesse Plemons) as standard villains. They may not necessarily be evil, but their deeds and intentions are not really rooted in goodness.

Michelle runs a corporation that has benefited from the deaths of others. She barely shows remorse for her pursuit of wealth and for who and what she has hurt because of her company. Teddy thinks he’s doing good by trying to expose Michelle and save the planet. However, he has killed innocent people and seems to be on a vengeance quest. These are not good people.

Now, I do think they possess all the traits that make villains fascinating, but also some that make them heroic. They’re likable at times, break your heart, and you understand both of their motives. Michelle and Teddy believe they’re the heroes of this story; they’re bad guys with a point. I found them extremely intriguing because, based on my definition of a villain, they’re both incredible ones for how believable they feel. They’re the type of villains that leave an impression and are realistic.

Michelle and Teddy could easily be people I meet one day, and that makes them scary as heck. The best villains are ones grounded in reality; you can see how life creates them. They represent the villains of everyday life.

However, I Could Sympathize With Both Characters At Times

Michelle is kidnapped and held captive by a madman who thinks she’s an alien. Whether she is or isn’t doesn’t matter because Teddy is still a threat to her survival either way. In general, as a woman, it’s also even scarier to be held captive by two men. There is the threat of death and other torture. You can’t help but sympathize and fear for Michelle.

There is a reason for Teddy's madness. He has been traumatized by the situation, and his mother’s own misguided decisions and beliefs. He then gets consumed by the world of conspiracy theorists. He’s impressionable, vulnerable, and in pain. Though you may not agree with the type of people Teddy represents, it’s easy to feel bad for him. He was lost and went down the wrong path.

I think the best villains are the ones that are undeniably human. You could be one bad day away from becoming a Teddy, or if you grew up with a little more privilege, you could have become a Michelle. It’s easy to see yourself in them at times. If you love your parents, you can understand how Teddy could go this far to help or get revenge for his mother. If you were once a dreamer who thought you were going to save the world but ended up hurting it, then you understand Michelle.

You can be villains and still be very sympathetic.

Michelle And Teddy Are Both Complex And Dark, And That Really Ties Into One Of Bugonia's Main Topics

Once again, you understand both of their motivations. They can be villains and still have reasonable motives. I think Michelle and Teddy are trying to save the world, but doing it in terrible ways. They are also using and sacrificing others in the pursuit of the greater good. The greater good in question may look different to each, but both are grounded in the idea that the world needs saving.

Bugonia has a very bleak and cynical take on life and the world. In short, the movie thinks Earth and the world are doomed. Neither Michelle nor Teddy can save it. No one can save it, despite their best intentions. Their attempts will just continue to cause more problems. Bugonia is almost the opposite of a movie about hope. It’s about accepting that the world cannot be saved. It’s not necessarily freeing, but an interesting take.

I Didn't Know Who To Root For Or Against

I found myself saying at times that Michelle has to be taken down, then I would change to seeing Teddy as the bigger problem. I rooted for and against each throughout Bugonia. However, eventually, I accepted that this isn’t a movie where we should root against or for either of them. They’re not people to root for, and rooting against them seems pointless. It’s just a take-the-journey type of film.

Once I accepted that they’re not characters worthy of supporting, it made the Bugonia experience even more entertaining. I could just watch their antics with amusement.

Bugonia Really Made Me Think About The Concept Of The Monsters Made, Not Born

I don’t think Teddy or Michelle are inherently evil or villains. I think life and society turned them that way. I have seen a couple of the highly anticipated upcoming movies of 2025 so far, and that seems to be a running theme: the world turning people into monsters. Michelle became one because of her corporate greed and maybe losing sight of her initial goals and mission.

Teddy has been wronged by Michelle’s company. He’s also just a worker bee, so he's always going to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Michelle and Teddy are monsters because the world turns them into monsters. They are both doomed from the start, especially Teddy with his upbringing and life.

Bugonia is a really fascinating character study along with having one crazy plot. It’s definitely worth seeing, even if to see Emma Stone rock a great shaved head. I may also need to watch Save the Green Planet! to compare.

Bugonia is playing nationwide.

Emma Stone has quickly grown into one of the most revered actresses of this century, and while her acting chops are a huge part of it, it’s also her commitment to the roles she takes on. She’s dyed her hair brunette, blonde, and back to red, but she’s never actually been bald. For her role in Bugonia, the Superbad actress shaved her head for the first time, and let’s just say it wasn’t an easy A.

The Help actress is once again teaming up with The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos to star in his upcoming release Bugonia, set to premiere this fall on the 2025 movie schedule. This will be the director and actress’s fourth collaboration, following Kinds of Kindness, the Oscar-winning Poor Things and The Favourite. This time, though, the Cruella actress said via IndieWire that Lanthimos’ project included a huge change to her appearance that couldn't be avoided:

Yet even knowing it was gonna happen, and that her frequent collaborator Jesse Plemons would be handling the clippers, Stone said it still wasn’t easy to do when the time came. She explained that she had a moment of doubt right before “action,” saying:

Stone is not the first actor to shave their head for a film or TV show (I see you, Millie Bobby Brown), but doing it on camera is less common. This meant they only had one take to get it right, and there was no room for panic once the cameras were rolling.

The Eddington actress said she found solace in the fact that her mom once had no choice but to be bald, either, but because she was battling cancer as opposed to doing it for something she loves. So ever the professional, the Zombieland actress managed to stay in character with a straight face as Plemons buzzed away.

In this Will Tracy homage to Save The Green Planet, the Civil War actor and his accomplice, played by Aidan Delbis, kidnap a high-powered CEO (Stone) they believe is really an alien sent to destroy Earth. In the trailer, Plemons' character Teddy justifies shaving Michelle’s hair to prevent her from contacting her mothership.

I know the Crazy Stupid Love actress was hesitant about the complete chop, but I think she pulls it off, even if I can’t stop seeing Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange.

However, as Stone has realized, it’s just hair. It grows back. She’s currently rocking the pixie cut again, which I personally think is one of her best looks. I can’t wait to see her on the red carpet for this movie, but I’m even more excited to see the actual film, as I can already tell from the trailer that it will be up there with her best performances.

Be sure to catch Bugonia when it releases in theaters worldwide on Friday, October 31st.

Spoilers for Kinds of Kindness are ahead! If you haven’t seen Yorgos Lanthimos’ entry on the 2024 movie schedule, you can catch it in theaters now.

When critics reacted to Kinds of Kindness, a lot of them noted the dark humor and extreme scenes in the movie. As is expected with any Yorgos Lanthimos film, this project is bonkers, ambiguous and visceral, and one scene that really made that notion clear was when Joe Alwyn’s character got shot in the hand and licked by Jesse Plemons' character. When I had the chance to chat with Alwyn about the movie, I had to ask about this shocking scene, and he broke it down for us.

For some context, during the second part of Kinds of Kindness called "R.M.F. is Flying" – which is a triptych – Jesse Plemons plays a police officer named Daniel who gets increasingly more paranoid as he starts to suspect that his wife is not really his wife. At one point, he pulls over a couple, and Joe Alwyn plays Jerry, one of the two people in the car. During this intense moment, tension rises super high, and it leads to Daniel shooting Jerry in the hand. Then, out of nowhere, he licks the bloody hand.

It’s a wild scene, and when I interviewed Alwyn and his castmates about Kinds of Kindness, and I had to ask about it. Here’s what he said:

It was great, and part of the reason why was because of how bloody and extreme it got. The Conversations with Friends star went on to tell me how they rigged up his hand and shot the scene, explaining:

He was also sitting next to his co-star Mamoudou Athie during this interview, who noted that “Jesse’s so strong,” and during the scene, he “couldn’t move him” off of Alwyn.

As you’ve likely deduced if you’ve seen the Kinds of Kindness trailer, and you know if you’ve seen the movie, this project is full of jaw-dropping moments. This was the one that caught me the most off guard because the last thing I expected after all that intensity was for Alwyn to get licked by Plemons.

This made me question whether the moment was scripted or improvised on the day. Joe Alwyn made it very clear that it was in the script the whole time, and he was always meant to be shot and then licked, as he said:

Our review of Kinds of Kindness gave the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars, and it’s partially because it’s “shocking, hilarious” and “upsetting” all at the same time. This moment between Joe Alwyn and Jesse Plemons is a prime example of all of that.

You truly never know what to expect from a Yorgos Lanthimos movie, and that’s why I love them. While this scene in question was intense and uncomfortable, it was also unexpected and jaw-dropping in the best way.

To see this moment – and all the other wild scenes in this film – you can catch Kinds of Kindness in theaters now.

We know Kinds of Kindness is an anthology of three short stories that aren’t connected (technically) but do share a few thematic throughlines. However, there’s also one common thread between all three parts of Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, because the character R.M.F. appears briefly in every story and each section title includes his name. However, his relevance to the greater project is quite ambiguous.

So, with that in mind, I decided to ask the stars of Kinds of Kindness – Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons – about this character played by Yorgos Stefanakos, and their answers only made me more confused…but, I think that’s the point.

Immediately after I asked about R.M.F.’s role in the critically acclaimed Kinds of Kindness, Willem Dafoe piped up to say he was going to let his co-star take the question. So, to the best of his abilities, Jesse Plemons explained who he thinks R.M.F. is and how his interpretation of him has changed over time to me, saying:

It’s not surprising that The Power of the Dog actor didn’t have a straight answer, Yorgos Lanthimos’ movies tend to leave you with more questions. His movie Poor Things, which won a ton of Oscars in 2024, was like that too. He’s great at making unique, thought-provoking and ambiguous art, and this movie and R.M.F’s role are another example of that.

Willem Dafoe, who decided to hop in and give his perspective too, agreed that Lanthimos wouldn’t have said what he thinks R.M.F.’s greater meaning is. He then went on to explain that that might be the point:

As our review of Kinds of Kindness states, the film is “like a puzzle,” and it takes time to put all the pieces together. For Plemons, his interpretation of the film and R.M.F. specifically has developed over time. He told me his most recent feelings about the recurring character, and they’re pretty wild:

I’ll admit it, when I walked out of my screening for this film, I had a similar thought. What if R.M.F. is some sort of immortal god-like figure? It’s certainly possible.

As you likely discerned if you watched the Kinds of Kindness trailer, this project on the 2024 movie schedule is bonkers, and it’s not trying to give you straight answers. It wants you to really think about the connections and draw your own conclusions.

On that note, the Spider-Man actor followed up his co-star's comments with his own possible greater meaning for R.M.F., saying:

R.M.F. certainly did go through everything, and he was so present in every section of this movie because he was the one character who remained the same. Every other actor in this film played someone wildly different in each part, so when the same guy shows up every time as the same character, it’s something to ponder.

To try and come to a conclusion about R.M.F. yourself, you can catch Kinds of Kindness in theaters now.

As you’ll quickly learn if you read our review of Kinds of Kindness or see the Yorgos Lanthimos project on the 2024 movie schedule for yourself, this movie is quirky, odd and wildly creative. So, of course, its star, Emma Stone, attended the premiere of the film dressed to the nines and on theme as she rocked a gorgeous black sheer dress with epic cutouts. 

Emma Stone – who plays an integral role in the triptych of stories in Lanthimos’ film Kinds of Kindness – attended the premiere of the project at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City with her co-stars Jesse Plemons, Joe Alwyn, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Mamoudou Athie and their director, in a lovely black sheer dress. The look is fabulous and a work of modern art, just like the film and the works in the museum where the event happened, take a look:

According to Stone’s stylist Petra Flannery’s Instagram post about the look, the dress is by Louis Vuitton. I love the black paneling featured around her chest and waist because it juxtaposes the black sheer fabric with black polka dots that are featured across the entire dress. She paired the dress with simple black heels, and overall, it is a truly epic fit. 

Much like how Florence Pugh has reinvented the sheer trend over and over again, Stone’s take on it is totally unique, which I adore. 

This look is also another great example of Stone pairing her outfits with the vibe of the project she’s working on. While on the awards circuit for Poor Things – which cleaned up at the Oscars and got the actress her second Academy Award – Stone dressed kind of like her character Bella. Stars like Zendaya and Margot Robbie are well-known for method dressing on press tours, and the La La Land star seems to do it too.

Her lovely black dress fits the unique and unconventional vibe of Kinds of Kindness perfectly. As you can see in the Kinds of Kindness trailer, this movie is not like Stone’s other collaborations with Yorgos Lanthimos, as it’s a contemporary tale rather than a period or fantasy piece and it's an anthology rather than one singular story. 

Unlike the pastels Stone rocked during the Poor Things premieres (which was her last film with Lanthimos), she’s going for a darker color palette for this film that reminds me of the modern, contemporary setting and the dark tone that runs through all three parts of the project. 

Overall, Emma Stone’s epic black sheer dress is perfect for this premiere, and I can’t wait to see what else she wears as she continues to promote the critically acclaimed Kinds of Kindness. 

To see her latest movie with Yorgos Lanthimos for yourself, you can catch it in theaters now. 

When I first had the opportunity to watch Dogtooth in 2010, I instantly recognized writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos as a filmmaker with fascinating sensibilities and style, and I committed to keeping an eye on his work in the years ahead… but I never had even the slightest inkling that he would find what can be called “mainstream” success. And yet, that’s exactly what has happened in the last 14 years. His 2015 movie The Lobster and 2017’s The Killing Of A Sacred Deer saw him start collaborating with notable Hollywood stars like Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and Nicole Kidman, and he is now widely recognized as the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind 2018’s The Favourite and 2023’s Poor Things.

Part of what makes The Favourite and Poor Things such interesting titles in Lanthimos’ filmography, however, is that there is a complex aesthetic paired with the director’s surrealistic approach to story, characters, and dialogue. The protagonists and antagonists alike are strange, but they also live outlandish and foreign existences (with the fantastical world of the latter obviously being a bit more outlandish and foreign than 18th century Great Britain in the former). These heightened environments arguably made Lanthimos’ auteur voice more palatable – but with Kinds Of Kindness, he’s made a return to his bread and butter, and it’s a mind-boggling, dark pleasure that feels made to be divisive in the best way.

An anthology that foregoes having a wraparound story, the film is a triptych of shorts featuring a common ensemble cast, with the main common thread between them being bizarre relationships with emphasis on control and obedience. Each is introduced with a title relating to a mysterious and silent character named R.M.F. (Yorgos Stefanakos), who has small but significant parts to play.

“The Death Of R.M.F.” centers on a man named Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons), who has an agreement with a man named Raymond (Willem Dafoe) to have his entire life dictated and scheduled – but he is conflicted when he is instructed to commit an extreme albeit planned crime. In “R.M.F. Is Flying,” a police officer (Plemons) starts emotionally slipping when his wife (Emma Stone) mysteriously disappears at sea, but upon her return, he isn’t sure she is who she says she is. And finally, in “R.M. F. Eats A Sandwich,” two agents (Stone, Plemons) are dispatched by a cult to follow up on leads to try and find a woman whom they are told has the ability to bring the dead back to life.

It oxymoronically balances bluntness and subtly in such a way that you’re constantly surprised and working to grapple with what the work is throwing at you. An uncanny valley-esque atmosphere floats through the near-three-hour feature as a familiar world clashes with extreme and alien behavior, and it pelts you with oddity in such a way that equally inspires both laughter and deep thought about what Yorgos Lanthimos and co-writer Efthimis Filippou are trying to say with the trio of narratives.

Each segment in Kinds Of Kindness builds like a puzzle, And it’s wild to see the full picture come together.

From Dogtooth’s exploration of language to Poor Things examining sexual liberation, Yorgos Lanthimos’ works take eccentric angles on fascinating areas of life, and part of what makes Kinds Of Kindness so compelling is the satisfaction of putting together what he is trying to say – as nothing in the film is casual or dumbed down. With each story, you slowly grasp the rules of the world and marvel as the characters both follow and break them (and deal with the consequences). And just when you think you have everything figured out, things take an unexpected left turn, and you are still left chewing on what you witnessed a week after your screening.

The nature of the movie makes it a spoiler minefield, as it’s really best to let each twist and turn in the segments rock you and drop your jaw as they unfold, but to provide a vague example, “R.M.F. Is Flying” finds a way to stir grief, a Capgras delusion, and a dog society into one exceptionally weird stew that has to be consumed to be understood.

Yorgos Lanthimos presents a clean-yet-dirty world and never flinches from anything.

There is a special kind of directness that is present in all of Yorgos Lanthimos’ work, with characters taking matter-of-fact tones even when making outlandish and claims or demands, and that voice is unfiltered in Kinds Of Kindness. If it’s not a sensibility you can get onboard with, you’re in for a long and uncomfortable 164 minutes, but movie-goers who can tune into its frequency will be dazzled. In one breath, the film takes you from a giggle-worthy celebratory dance in a parking lot to shocking, deadly tragedy, and it leaves you dizzy in the best way – with an aesthetic consistency throughout accentuating the acute tonal changes.

As unexpected developments continue to unfold, Lanthimos makes no effort in any way to “protect” the audience: this is the world he designed, and you are going to look at it. There is a rawness in the way in which the characters behave, and it would be a betrayal of that voice to shy away from sex and instances of violence. The experience oscillates between shocking and hilarious and deeply upsetting, and it’s beautifully bold.

Kinds Of Kindness has a tonal consistency through its chapters, but it’s a blast to see the range demonstrated by the film’s stars.

Obviously, nothing is hurt by Kinds Of Kindness employing some of the best actors currently working today. While there is commonality between the three stories in aesthetics and tone, all of the performers get to show off different colors in each of their roles, and it’s a credit to their skills how they stand apart. Following up what can be described as one of the best performances of the 21st century in Poor Things, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos again prove to be a perfect collaborative match, the actress shining in “R.M. F. Eats A Sandwich” – and Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley in particular are standouts in their various supporting roles.

Continuing a 2024 streak that started with Alex Garland’s Civil War, it’s Jesse Plemons who emerges as the work’s MVP, however,  from the lost and confused Robert in “The Death Of R.M.F.,” the spiraling Daniel “R.M.F. Is Flying,” or the devout Andrew in “R.M. F. Eats A Sandwich.” While the characters aren’t individually wildly different people, Plemons provides a unique energy to each one that has them stand apart even as the stories unfurl back-to-back-to-back.

Arriving at a fascinating point in Yorgos Lanthimos’ career. Kinds Of Kindness will be a litmus test for some movie-goers as they discover where they stand in appreciation for the writer/director. It’s certainly not a film for neophytes when it comes to Lanthimos’ work. But in contrast, those who already know and love his work are going to be deeply satisfied by this epic weird-fest.

Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos wowed audiences in 2023 with the help of Emma Stone in Poor Things, and the duo are back sooner than many expected for their third overall collaboration. Kinds of Kindness premieres June 21, and it sounds like moviegoers are in for a truly unique theatrical experience. Critics have had the opportunity to screen the absurdist comedy, and while the responses are mostly positive, the film promises to be polarizing with its bleak humor and exploration of human perversion.

Kinds of Kindness is a triptych anthology, featuring its stars — who include Emma Stone’s Poor Things co-stars Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, as well as Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and others — playing different characters in three separate but loosely connected stories. Let’s see what critics are saying.

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment gives it a user rating of 8 out of 10, noting the director’s return to pitch-black humor as he shines a light on the complexities of human relationships and varying forms of perversions through shocking and funny payoffs. The critic writes: 

Clint Worthington of Consequence grades the movie a B-, agreeing with the above opinion that fans craving the dirtier, nastier side of Yorgos Lanthimos will likely be satisfied by Kinds of Kindness, a “celebration of the ways we degrade ourselves/each other and enjoy it.” Worthington concludes: 

Nick Schager of The Daily Beast recommends audiences “See This” one-of-a-kind film that lets Emma Stone’s freak flag fly. The two-time Oscar winner and Jesse Plemons are Kinds of Kindness’ standouts throughout the genuine and consistently surprising triptych that is so thrillingly bizarre, you won’t want to miss it. Schager continues: 

It's already polarizing some critics as not everyone is as game for the experience as those above. Anna Smith of GamesRadar rates the movie 2 out of 5 stars, calling it “hollow” and saying the project feels misanthropic and at times misogynistic. Critics largely seem to be on board with the film, Smith says, but mainstream audiences may be a harder sell. In her words: 

Ryan Coleman of Slant echoes the above thoughts, calling Yorgos Lanthimos “anchored in the shallows,” as Kinds of Kindness contains the seeds for several good movies if Lanthimos had the patience to cultivate them. Coleman rates the movie just 1.5 stars out of 4, writing: 

Despite a nearly three-hour runtime and what sounds like some tough subject matter and bleak humor, more critics are leaving the movie with positive impressions than negative, and Kinds of Kindness so far has a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. How will audiences react? We’ll find out soon, as the film hits theaters on Friday, June 21. Be sure to check out our 2024 movie calendar to see what else is coming soon. 

In a just world, I should just be able to tell you that Kinds of Kindness is the latest film from Yorgos Lanthimos and his mise, Emma Stone, and you would line up to buy tickets. They’ve done The Favourite together, and took the awards season by storm last year with Poor Things, for which Stone won her second Best Actress Oscar. Any collaboration should be on your radar. But this is 2024, and potential audience members need teasers and trailers, so fine… here you go. It looks amazing!

This is the ideal type of teaser. It gives us a hint of what Kinds of Kindness might be, without spoiling much of anything. And just based on the images alone, we can tell this is something totally different from the fantasy/sci-fi/horror world of Bella Baxter and her sojourn into the real world as part of Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. Everything about Poor Things was hyper-stylized, from the costumes and sets to even the dialogue and performance. It led to the movie becoming one of the best Emma Stone movies ever made. As of right now, Kinds of Kindness looks more like a Coen Brothers crime thriller, though even that might be deceiving. 

WIth the trailer came a press release that tells us this much about the plot:

Sure, that works! And it primarily works because that cast looks exquisite. As you see in the teaser, Yorgos Lanthimos has recruited Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer for Kinds of Kindness. Now, can someone tell me what Hong Chao is licking in this scene? 

The best part about this trailer isn’t the cast, it’s the release date. Kinds of Kindness will be reaching theaters on June 21, with several film critics on social media predicting (wisely) that the movie will have a splashy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Safe bet. Could it be possible that Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone are back in the awards conversation next year? Or is this a system purge for them, a palette cleanser that allows them to let their hair down and just have fun with a genre exercise? They’ve certainly earned the right to do whatever they want, and I know I’ll be there front and center to see the results. 

We have you covered if you were wondering about any news regarding the upcoming Yorgos Lanthimos film, Kinds of Kindness. 

If that name sounds familiar, it's because Lanthimos has released some of the biggest films of the last few years, and his latest, Poor Things, won big at the 2024 Academy Awards, including a coveted Best Actress win for Miss Emma Stone. 

Of course, when it comes to major directors like Lanthimos, you can't keep him away for long, because he already has another film in the works—and that, my friends, is called Kinds of Kindness. But who will star in this film? And when might it come out? Here is what we know so far.  

What Is The Kinds Of Kindness Release Date?

As of May 2024, Kinds of Kindness (previously named AND) is set to release on June 21, 2024, according to Searchlight Pictures, which means it'll be a part of our 2024 movie schedule.

The film was said to be post-production in December 2023, according to IndieWire, so it makes sense why it would premiere this year – especially so soon after Poor Things won several awards in numerous categories during awards season. 

June 2024 has many new films coming out that will be tough to compete with at the box office, , the new sequel Inside Out 2, and the long-awaited A Quiet Place: Day One. Hopefully, Kinds of Kindness joining those ranks will still see it getting the box office numbers it deserves. 

Check Out The Teaser Trailer For Kinds Of Kindness

While it feels like we were waiting for months to see what this movie would be about, we finally got our first look at the teaser trailer for Kinds of Kindness. The video shows our large cast ensemble in various roles and scenery – and truthfully, the trailer barely gives anything away. Admire the beautiful cinematography above.  

Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, And More Star In The Kinds Of Kindness Cast

If you're wondering who is going to star in Kinds of Kindness, we have an official cast for you from Searchlight Pictures:

Emma Stone

First on this list is Emma Stone, the lead of Kinds of Kindness. This would be her third collaboration with the director. 

Stone previously worked with Lanthimos on Poor Things and The Favourite, both of which earned her Oscar nominations. Poor Things scored Stone a win, as mentioned above, so it makes sense why she would want to work with the director again, since he makes such great films. 

Stone starred in several other films, including La La Land, Zombieland, Battle of the Sexes, Cruella, and more. 

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons was also confirmed. The actor gained a lot of fame for his minor role in Season 5 of the Breaking Bad cast and blew up afterwards, appearing in several major films, including The Irishman, Hostiles, Vice, Jungle Cruise, Antlers, Windfall, and many more. 

The Civil War actor even spoke about his time filming the new film in an interview with Vanity Fair in May 2024, saying that filming Kinds of Kindness is like “throwing himself” into something he doesn’t quite understand in a good way:

Plemons also said his first initial reaction was “Oh my God, what?” so I am very curious about what these stories are going to be about. 

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe will be back for another Lanthimos film, as he will have a role in Kinds of Kindness. Dafoe has worked with the director before, with a starring role in Poor Things. 

The actor has starred in various movies, including The French Dispatch, Nightmare Alley, The Northman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, John Wick, American Psycho, Finding Nemo, and many more. 

Many people might recognize him best as Green Goblin from the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy and Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Margaret Qualley

Margaret Qualley will also have a role here. The actress has appeared in movies such as Death Note, The Nice Guys, Drive-Away Dolls, and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. She also starred in Maid on Netflix. 

Hong Chau

Hong Chau will also appear in Kinds of Kindness. The actress has appeared in various films, including Downsizing, The Whale, Artemis Fowl, The Menu, and more. 

Joe Alwyn

Joe Alwyn will appear in the film, as well. The actor previously worked with Lanthimos on The Favourite, but also appeared in films like Boy Erased, Mary Queen of Scots, and Harriet. 

Mamoudou Athie

Mamoudou Athie is confirmed for Kinds of Kindness. The actor is mainly known for his starring role in the unfortunately canceled Netflix series, Archive 81, and his voice role in the 2023 Pixar film, Elemental. 

Hunter Schafer

The last confirmed star is Hunter Schafer. The actress is primarily known for her role in the Euphoria cast, but has also appeared in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

Talk about a stacked cast – one I'm eager to see bring this to life. 

Kinds Of Kindness Will Follow Three Different Stories Lead By These Actors

While the trailer for the film doesn’t give much detail as to what you can expect, we did get an official description of what to expect from Searchlight Pictures. 

The film itself will follow three different storylines, where the actors will play different characters in each story. They will be about a man trying to take control of his life when he doesn’t “have a choice,” a policeman whose missing wife returns home as a seemingly “new person,” and a woman who is trying to find someone with a special ability that will become a “spiritual leader.”

Yorgos Lanthimos previously called the movie a “contemporary film” in an interview with The Guardian in December 2023, and that it would be like “three films” in one movie, teasing the different stories. This just gives us more of an idea of what to expect. 

In fact, Lanthimos even revealed why he cast the same actors for different roles in that same interview with Vanity Fair, saying that the main reason was for “continuity and unity” between the three different stories:

The Vanity Fair article also confirmed that each of these stories will be named something different – “The Death of R.M.F.,” “R.M.F. Is Flying,” and “Eats a Sandwich.”

This sounds like some of the best anthology movies out there, and if that's the case, I'm so down to see where this goes. It's something far different from what Lanthimos has done in the past. 

The Film Does Not Have A Rating Yet

There isn't a set rating yet for Kinds of Kindness yet, but we can expect that it'll most likely be rated R. 

I say this as someone who has both seen and researched Lanthimos' work. Almost all of his movies tend to be rated R for their crude scenes, language, and much more, so don't expect to bring your kids to this one. 

Yorgos Lanthimos Directed The Feature

As confirmed above, Yorgos Lanthimos directed Kinds of Kindness. The director has been on a roll for the last decade, since many of his films became mainstream. 

Aside from the aforementioned Poor Things and The Favourite, Lanthimos is also behind the celebrated A24 horror movie, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and the dystopian sci-fi film, The Lobster, aside from many other international features. 

Lanthimos And Efthimis Filippou Wrote The Script

The Deadline article regarding Stone's casting confirmed that Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou wrote the script for Kinds of Kindness. The two have collaborated before, on Dogtooth, Alps, The Lobster, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

The Lobster also earned a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, so I'm eager to see the two return to work. 

What are you most excited about with Kinds of Kindness? All I know is that I’m going to be in my theater seat as soon as possible to witness these strange but totally intriguing stories – because it has certainly captured my interest. 

This past weekend, Poor Things did quite well for itself among the 2024 Academy Award winners. In addition taking home the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Bella Baxter, the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed feature also emerged victorious in the Best Production Design and Best Costume Design categories. But now that awards season is behind us and you’ve read our Poor Things review (spoiler alert, we awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars), it’s time for us to start preparing for Stone and Lanthimos’ next collaboration, because it’s debuting way sooner than we thought. To be more specific, it’s only a few months away on the 2024 movies schedule.

Kinds of Kindness, the third of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos’ feature-length movies together following the aforementioned adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel and 2018’s The Favourite, is officially due out in theaters on June 21, 2024. Searchlight Pictures announced this release date, so now we can can look forward to the movie, which was originally called And, opening the same day as The Bikeriders, It Ends with Us and Thelma. Kinds of Kindness will be Searchlight’s third movie of the year, following February’s Suncoast and April’s The Greatest Hits.

So for those of you who enjoyed watching Poor Things and/or The Favourite, both of which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, mark down June 21 on your calendar. Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have quickly proven themselves to be an effective actor/director duo, as The Favourite also earned numerous accolades, including Stone for Best Supporting Actress, while Olivia Colman won Best Actress that year. While nothing’s certain just yet, there’s a good chance we could be talking about Kinds of Kindness frequently during the next awards season.

Unfortunately, what we can specifically expect from Kinds of Kindness remains shrouded in mystery. At the end of 2023, Lanthimos described the movie to The Guardian as “a contemporary film, set in the US – three different stories, with four or five actors who play one part in each story, so they all play three different parts.” That’s the extent of the plot information that’s been revealed, though the filmmaker added that working on Kinds of Kindness was “almost like making three films, really.”

As far as the cast goes, Stone will be joined by her Poor Things costar Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer. In addition to his directorial duties, Lanthimos co-wrote Kinds of Kindness’ script with Efthimis Filippou, with the two of them having previously worked together on Dogtooth, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The movie was filmed in New Orleans in late 2022.

CinemaBlend will have more Kinds of Kindness coverage lined up in the months ahead, so be on the lookout for that. Also, remember that after its release, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are planning to work on yet another movie together, a remake of the South Korean fantasy comedy Save the Green Planet.

It’s pretty incredible that Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things exists. It’s a bold take on the classic story of Frankenstein with the twist of Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter being a full-grown woman who gets a baby brain placed into her body and discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of the world without the weight of society to bring her any shame about how she decides to live. The movie is ridden with sex scenes, which, as director Yorgos Lanthimos recently explained, was not an easy sell for movie producers. 

If you’ve seen Poor Things, which has earned Emma Stone rave reviews from critics and on CinemaBlend’s best movies of 2023 list, it’s not hard to imagine the science fiction black comedy being a hard sell. But, here’s what Yorgos Lanthimos recently said on the subject: 

During an interview with Variety, Lanthimos recalled Poor Things being shut out by numerous Hollywood producers before the movie found its home with Searchlight Pictures. As he continued: 

Considering all the doors being proverbially slammed in Lanthimos’ face regarding telling the sexual and general awakening of Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter, there certainly could have been a version of this where Lanthimos had decided to compromise the movie’s vision (and one of the book’s author, Alasdair Gray) and sanitize the sex scenes in Poor Things. Sure, it might have been a bit more “accessible” and less unsettling to watch without as many sex scenes, but I ultimately admire Lanthimos for sticking to his guns and making such an unabashed movie. 

The high-handed amount of sex in Poor Things is, of course, purposeful because it frames its protagonist in the perspective of a woman who is exploring pleasure to its fullest potential simply because she wants to. As Bella Baxter goes on this journey of self (and sex) discovery throughout the film, it’s probably uncomfortable because we just don’t see this kind of storytelling when it comes to women. It’s a rather unheard of narrative. So while I’m sure Lanthimos had his battles to fight, I’m happy he did it because it ultimately brings to light something that’s rather unique to see in film. 

Since Poor Things premiered at the Venice Film Festival and joined the 2023 movie release schedule, it’s been awarded a lot for its boldness, earning the festival’s Golden Lion and being placed among award contenders. Could the movie give Emma Stone her second Oscar win? We’ll keep you updated. Poor Things is now playing in theaters. 

We here at CinemaBlend think Poor Things is one of the best movies of 2023. While there are many different elements to credit for the film's success, like Emma Stone's performance, its production lifespan is one of the more unexpected ones. So, in a recent interview, the Easy A actress engaged in a conversation with Maestro star and director Bradley Cooper, and they delved into the intricacies of their 2023 movie releases, shedding light on the significance of the six-year development span for both projects, describing it as a "huge gift."

During a candid and heartfelt chat on Variety's Actors on Actors series, Bradley Cooper and Emma opened up about the intricate journey of bringing their passion projects to the big screen. They found it interesting that both films had kickstarted in 2017, eventually leading to a shared experience of a long period of creative gestation. The Help actress pointed out the unique aspect of living with a project for an extended period, even when not actively in the pre-production phase. She explained:

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ book-to-screen adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel reimagines the Frankenstein story, features Stone in a leading role, and early critical reviews are overwhelmingly positive. The actress totally transforms into her character Bella Baxter in the film, and as she said this was partly because she had the time to let the film work "its way inside" her.

Cooper, who went through a similar development process to play Leonard Bernstein in his film Meastro, then jumped in, describing this extended period as a "gift." Stone readily agreed, delving into the mixed emotions it brought. She continued:

The Curse star plays the main character Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the unconventional and brilliant scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe) and given the brain of a toddler. Bella then embarks on a journey of self-discovery after leaving her home. Since she is still in the early stages of development and growing up, she has no filter and behaves and speaks like a child, leading to some hilarious lines. Interestingly, one of the funniest lines in the movie came from an actual 2-year-old.

Although labeled as a Frankenstein story, her film extends far beyond its genre boundaries, as our review of Poor Things says. Packed with humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of whimsy, many are hailing it as one of Emma Stone’s best movies. The early buzz even hints at her possibly securing a second Oscar win with this film.

Cooper's performance and direction in Maestro have also been praised. And he's spoken in-depth about the process of figuring out how to tell Leonard Bernstein's story throughout the long development process. 

I am glad that the two Hollywood heavyweights had the extended time to develop and produce their movies. If they had been rushed, we might not have had the opportunity to witness Emma Stone's tour de force performance. 

If you want to catch Stone's brilliant portrayal of Bella Baxter in Poor Things, you can watch it in theaters now. Bradley Cooper’s Maestro is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription. 

Along with all the things we know about Poor Things and its reception, I’m certain that it will go down as one of Emma Stone’s best movies (if not the best). And it’s with the same confidence that I think Emma Stone is guaranteed a second Oscar for the film too. Now, I know that’s a very bold claim. However, this film is bold, this actress takes some big confident swings that pay off big time, and without hesitation, to me, this is the most powerful performance from a project on the 2023 movie schedule. 

Emma Stone carries this film as the star and a producer, and without her, it wouldn’t work. She embodied Bella Baxter in a way that grounded this wild and wonderfully wacky story. Throughout the entire project, she was fearless as this Frenkienstien’s monster-esque character, and it paid off, big time. Therefore, I think she’s bound to win her second Academy Award for it.  

Emma Stone Commits 100% To Bella Baxter 

To understand why Emma Ston’s performance is so Oscar-worthy, you must first understand Bella Baxter. She’s a woman who has the brain of a baby. She was raised by a man who calls himself God (Willem Dafoe), and in the film, we follow her as she leaves her home to travel the world and find herself. 

It’s important to note that Bella acts and thinks like a toddler, and she develops over time. For example, one of her lines – which is about punching a baby – was literally inspired by the screenwriter’s 2-year-old, and something they said. As the film progresses Bella discovers the pleasures and devastations of the world, and she feels the intense emotions that come with them. From her having sex for the first time, to her realizing her place of privilege, it’s a harrowing and liberating journey that she goes on through the film, and Emma Stone shows us every stage of it perfectly.

Critics have been raving about Stone, and in CinemaBlend’s review of Poor Things Mike Reyes pointed out why the pairing of the actress with Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara works so well: 

I think in the hands of the wrong person Bella could have come off as silly and unrealistic. And while Stone’s performance is hilarious and fantastical, it’s also grounded, true and in some ways tragic. Her performance makes you respect and relate to Bella, not pity or make fun of her. It’s a tough high-wire act to walk with this film, and Emma Stone does it brilliantly.

This Movie Would Not Work Without Emma Stone 

There’s no question that Poor Things is Emma Stone’s weirdest movie, but that’s what makes it so exciting. With that being said, it’s abundantly clear to me that this was a really hard movie to pull off, and it wouldn’t have worked without this actress, her clear adoration for her character and her performance as Bella.

Since Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have worked together before, there is a level of comfort between them, as Sean O’Connell pointed out cover story about the intimate scenes, first-day fears and preparation, and it allowed her to be fearless. 

She has spoken so much about how deeply she cares for Bella, and the stages she mapped out for her character’s development. As a producer, she was also part of the film’s evolution from start to finish. With all that in mind, this actress truly helped shape this film, and her care for it is apparent in the fearless way she plays Bella and the infectious love she has for her.

On top of the commitment Stone has to the film, her portrayal of Bella is so extraordinary, that I don’t think anyone else could have played her. From the unique way she walks to her matter-of-fact way of saying things, the confident and creative choices the actress made for her character built a unique person for us to follow. And on top of all these magnificent acting choices, her affection for Bella is so infectious that you can feel it radiating off the screen. 

Taking A Look Back At Emma Stone’s History With The Oscars 

Over the course of her career, Emma Stone has been nominated for two Oscars and won one. Her first nomination came in 2015 for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and in 2017 she won for her brilliant performance in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. So, if she were to win for Poor Things (which I think she will) it would be her second time taking home gold from The Academy. 

The more important thing here though was her nomination for The Favourite and Olivia Colman’s win for the same film. This project, directed by Poor Things’ Yorgos Lanthimos, got 10 nominations, including one for Stone in supporting actress and another for Colman in lead. 

Olivia Colman won for The Favourite in 2019 – I’m positive you remember her speech – and like her co-star, Stone turned in a memorable one-of-a-kind performance in Lanthimos' latest film Poor Things. Along with having the same director, these performances are also incredibly bold and funny yet dramatic. Not to mention, both women are absolute powerhouses. There's a strong parallel here, and I can't help but think about these two and how it relates to Bella going into this year's ceremony.

Based on Stone and Lanthimos’ history with The Academy, it’s clear that they’re loved, and I think it's highly likely they’ll receive the same kind of adoration this year for Poor Things. 

Overall, there’s a lot going for Emma Stone when it comes to her taking home a second Oscar. Bella Baxter is a truly remarkable character, and the actress behind her plays her in a way that makes you feel all of her emotions and fall head-over-heels in love with her and her journey. Not only do I think Stone will win the Academy Award, I think she’s guaranteed it, and I desperately hope that she’s up on that stage accepting the award for her performance in Poor Things.

To see Emma Stone’s brilliant performance as Bella Baxter in Poor Things, you can catch it in theaters now. 

Light spoilers for Poor Things are ahead. If you haven’t seen the acclaimed film on the 2023 movie schedule, you can catch it in theaters now.

One of the reasons why reviews for Poor Things have been so good is because of how committed and unique Emma Stone’s performance is. Her character Bella Baxter is truly one of a kind, and she's unafraid to say anything that’s on her mind, which is why she says she wants to punch a baby. So, considering all of this, when CinemaBlend interviewed the film’s screenwriter, Tony McNamara, we had to ask about one of the actress’s best lines and how it came to be. It turns out, the moment was inspired by something his 2-year-old actually said, which honestly makes this whole situation even better.

To understand why this fact is incredible, first, we must discuss what we know about Poor Things. Emma Stone leads the film as Bella Baxter, a woman who has the brain of a baby, a sort of Frankenstein's monster in a way. The film follows her development as she discovers the world, and during a dinner on a ship, she spits out food because she finds it “revolting,” and then exclaims that she needs to go “punch” a crying baby. At this point in Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, this character is in the midst of developing, and she acts a lot like a toddler in a way, which is why she hilariously says:

Bella doesn't know that it’s not socially acceptable to punch babies, she is simply acting on her instincts and feelings, which is why this line is said in such a matter-of-fact way. It turns out that this magnificent line was apparently said by Tony McNamara’s 2-year-old first, and that fact makes this whole situation even better. During CinemaBlend’s interviews for Poor Things, the screenwriter told us:

Critics have praised Stone’s performance in this film, and acknowledged just how “hilarious” she is. However, we also need to give credit to McNamara and his toddler for the incredible dialogue the actress got to say as Bella Baxter. 

This character Stone plays has no filter and she goes about the world with an open mind and enthusiasm to learn. However, she’s also still in the early stages of development and growing up which means she’ll say things and act in a way that mirrors a child. It’s through lines like the one about punching a baby that not only cracks the audience up, but shows them where Bella is in her evolution. 

Using an actual quote from his 2-year-old for this film is honestly incredible, and it helped Tony McNamara write an even more authentic character. This is because, in certain ways, Bella acts a lot like a toddler, and would think like them.

It’s moments like this and many, many others that prove why Poor Things is one of Emma Stone’s weirdest and best movies. To see this hysterical moment inspired by a 2-year-old and all the other marvelous moments that make up Bella Baxter’s story, you can catch Yorgos Lanthimos’ film in theaters now. 

Practice saying this with me: “Two-time Academy Award winner, Emma Stone.” That’s how good the La La Land star is in her newest feature, Poor Things – one of Stone’s best movies, and the next collaboration with The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos. Having made the fall film festival circuit, Poor Things is starting to screen for audiences, riding on a wave of critical support for Lanthimos’s unique vision. And as was pointed out in CinemaBlend’s official Poor Things review, the movie soars on the performance of Stone as Bella Baxter, a woman potentially “created” in a lab by the inquisitive Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and then unleashed on the world. 

There are parallels in Bella’s story to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Only, Poor Things asks, ‘What if Frankenstein’s monster discovered her own sexuality, and became obsessed with what she properly labels “happy when she want!”’ The journey that follows is very sex-positive, and very much in line with the pitch-black comedy that Lanthimos brought to his earlier films, both with Emma Stone (The Favourite) and without her (The Lobster, Dogtooth). 

There’s a confidence, and a fearlessness, in Stone’s performance that we assume can only come with familiarity in a director partner. And when both Stone and Lanthimos appeared as guests on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, we asked her if she could have done Poor Things with a filmmaker she didn’t know. And she explained: 

Their risk is our reward. Poor Things is, in my opinion, the best Yorgos Lanthimos movie to date. And Stone’s fearless, commanding performance as Bella rivals anything she has done, including her Oscar-winning work in Damien Chazelle’s brilliant musical. There is so much brazen confidence woven into every performance throughout Poor Things – from Stone and Dafoe to Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, and Margaret Qualley – that it’s wild to hear the stars had trepidation over the work that they were doing. In recent interviews, Ruffalo has been admitting to questioning whether or not he even was right for the part. With Lanthimos telling ReelBlend:

As did Stone, who admitted to ReelBlend that she shared the nerves and trepidation, even though she never let the uncertainty bubble up into fear. She said: 

‘That’s What I Sound Like?’

Poor Things continues to expand Emma Stone’s reach as a producer, a credit she earned on the Walt Disney feature Cruella (in which she starred) and the films Problemista and When You Finish Saving The World. After decades of honing her craft, and succeeding at the highest levels, Stone seems ready to challenge herself in roles that go against her grain. In the psychological black comedy Maniac, for example, she embarked on a hallucinatory journey by playing someone agreeing to a risky pharmaceutical trial. And she’s currently pushing the comedic envelope alongside The Rehearsal’s Nathan Fielder in the new television show, The Curse.

At times, those projects still asked Stone to reach into her bag of tricks: Her deft comedic timing, and her physically expressive reactions. Those are stripped away when she’s asked to play Bella, a simple woman who’s almost re-learning how to live. With that in mind, Stone jokingly told ReelBlend that preparing to play Bella almost was counterproductive. 

As she explained:

Improvising too much might have made things difficult, as Bella’s journey through the Poor Things world is somewhat preordained. During the story, this inquisitive creature decides to leave her father “God’s” laboratory and go on an adventure with the self-absorbed Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo). Their trip takes them through Lisbon and Paris, where Bella’s eyes are open to the delicacies – and decadence – of the world. Some of Stone’s finest actions in Poor Things are reactions. To bad food. To dancing. To alcohol. And of course, to sex, which Bella calls “furious jumping.” 

It’s unlike anything we have seen Stone in before. To a certain extent, it’s unlike anything she has seen herself in before. She told ReelBlend:

‘The Language Becomes a Little Bit More Specific’

It helps that in addition to Stone, Dafoe, and Ruffalo’s off-kilter performances, they’re immersed in a surrealist world that gets filtered through the unique eye of Yorgos Lanthimos. Massive, ornate sets stand in for a cruise ship that Duncan takes Bella on, or the cities of Lisbon and Paris, which appear to borrow a little from the intricate imagination of Wes Anderson, though undoubtedly shaped to the mold of Lanthimos. 

He told ReelBlend that it took a while, and a lot of experimentation, to arrive on the look he wanted for Poor Things. Said Lanthimos:

These two will continue to speak the same language. After The Favourite and Poor Things, they revealed to ReelBlend that they’ve already shot a third movie together, with cinematographer Robbie Ryan. It’s titled Kind of Kindness, and co-stars Hunter Schafer, Hong Chau, Jesse Plemons, Dafoe, Qualley, and Stone. It’s tabbed as an upcoming 2024 movie, though details are under wraps. 

For now, the focus remains on Poor Things, which audiences are seeing, and even stepping into thanks to interactive events. Here’s the complete conversation between ReelBlend, Emma Stone, and Yorgos Lanthimos. 

See Poor Things, which is running in limited release, and expanding in the coming weeks and months. 

Bella Baxter’s fantastical world in Poor Things has been brought into reality, and you can visit it! Located in Brooklyn, New York, Searchlight Pictures has taken over the Maison Premiere to transport fans of Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s movie into the wonderfully weird and wild fantasy they’ve created in their project on the 2023 movie schedule. 

In celebration of Poor Things' release, the fact that this might be one of Emma Stone’s best movies, and the loving reception Yorgos Lanthimos’ film received from critics and fans alike, the Salon of Seduction has opened for one weekend to give fans an experience that oozes the wonderfully wacky energy from this magnificent project. So, when CinemaBlend got the invite to check it out, we had to go see this fantastical world for ourselves and let me tell you, it was incredible. 

How The Salon Of Seduction Transported Me Into Bella Baxter’s World

Immediately when I stepped into the Salon of Seduction I thought back to what I knew about the movie Poor Things as I was greeted by people playing creatures in a place similar to Swiney’s brothel. The colors, music, and overall vibe of the restaurant were reminiscent of the film’s setting, and I was in awe.

After the owner of the Salon walked us through a luxe purple curtain, all of us were asked to stand in our own stalls that featured a gorgeous floral arrangement, a plate with art from the film on it, and a curtain covering a window into the world we were about to enter. 

Then, two of the Salon’s employees walked around opening every curtain, preparing us for the multimedia performance they were about to put on. Using creative lighting, the score of the film by Jerskin Fendrix, delicious food from Maison Premiere, and drinks provided by Fords Gin the experience truly captured all the senses. 

After we were given oysters, a caramel meringue, and a cocktail made with gin, dry vermouth, creme de Violette, absinthe rinse and orange peel, two dancers performed a number inspired by Bella’s liberating journey in the film. 

Once the performance was over, we were ushered away from the peep-show-like performance space, and left through a lobby decorated with photos and items from the film. 

Overall, it was a mystical experience, and much like the positive reviews for Poor Things, I was utterly woo-ed by the candy-colored world Bella Baxter inhabits. 

You Can Enter the Salon Of Seduction Too 

If you adore what is lovingly being called Emma Stone’s weirdest movie, and you want to step into the world of Stone’s beloved Bella Baxter, Mark Ruffalo’s pompous Duncan and Willem Dafoe’s God, you can! Poor Things has taken over the Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, New York from December 8 through 10 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Reservations are required through Explore Tock, however, there is also a standby line available that runs on a first-come, first-served basis. 

It’s an immersive experience that is perfect for those looking to escape reality for a few minutes and step into the wonderfully weird world of Bella Baxter. So, make sure to take advantage of this unique pop-up experience while it’s around, and after you experience the Salon of Seduction, make sure to check out Poor Things, which is currently playing in theaters. 

The year may be coming to an end, but the box office is still firing on all cylinders in the final weeks of 2023. After its release was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in September, Poor Things starring Emma Stone is finally in theaters. And from the critics’ reactions, it sounds like director Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest project was worth the wait. Critics are all praising the performances, particularly Stone’s, and given what we know about Poor Things, we might want to keep our eye out for this title when awards season rolls around.

Adapted from the novel by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things tells the story of Bella, who is brought back to life by a scientist (Willem Dafoe), but as she develops emotionally, intellectually and sexually, she yearns for more and runs away with a debauched lawyer (Mark Ruffalo in a role he was initially scared to take). In CinemaBlend’s review of Poor Things, Mike Reyes calls the film “a frank and funny exploration of self-fulfillment.” He rates it 4.5 stars out of 5, writing: 

Emma Stone was nominated for an Academy Award the last time she worked with Yorgos Lanthimos (on The Favourite), and many think her performance as Bella in Poor Things — her weirdest movie yet — might lead to more accolades. Brian Truitt of USA TODAY is one of those, as he gives the movie 3.5 stars out of 4, writing: 

Dana Stevens of Slate agrees this might be one of Emma Stone’s best movies, and while the storylines are a bit incohesive and Yorgos Lanthimos makes visual decisions the critic can’t get behind, Poor Things is still a “kinky delight,” Stevens says: 

Prabhjot Bains of Our Culture Mag rates Poor Things a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, praising its stellar ensemble. Emma Stone is “utterly engrossing, hilarious, and liberating,” and the critic calls this Mark Ruffalo’s strongest performance in years. Willem Dafoe is great as a mad scientist, never allowing himself to be pigeonholed. Bains continues: 

Lindsey Bahr of the AP, like the other critics, praises the acting in Poor Things but also joins her peers in noting the work behind the camera. The cinematography, costumes and production design also impress in this depraved fairy tale, Bahr says, giving the movie 3.5 stars out of 4: 

In addition to the above opinions, critics overall seem to agree when it comes to Emma Stone’s latest role. Poor Things has accumulated a 93% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 150 assessments. If you want to check out Yorgos Lanthimos latest movie, you can do so now, as it hit theaters on December 8. There are still some great options on the 2023 movie calendar, but you can also get a jump on next year’s offerings by checking out our 2024 movie calendar. 

Director Yorgos Lanthimos isn’t a stranger to the world of the weird cinema. From his breakout hit Dogtooth all the way to The Favourite, the man has dealt with pitch black comedies that dig into the human experience through uniquely outlandish angles. Lanthimos and writer Tony McNamara have moved into an even more ridiculous setting than their previous film together with their adaptation of Poor Things, based on the book of the same name by author Alasdair Gray.

While that much is true, the story being told is one of great warmth and tremendous humor, bending genre with an ensemble led by a forceful Emma Stone. In a tale that’s adjacent to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, we’re introduced to Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a mad scientist who revives Bella Baxter (Stone) after her death. 

Much like that classic monster story, we see Bella growing in intellect and curiosity and eventually venturing out into a world that looks like a Wes Anderson or Tim Burton-inspired landscape. Don’t let that description fool you though, as Poor Things doesn’t use that scenery as a mere shorthand for tone. 

Through his usage of this palette, Yorgos Lanthimos actually feels beguiled by that aesthetic, giving us worlds of wondrous visuals that aren’t just being quirky for the sake of being “different.” With performances that are as colorful as the backdrops the characters inhabit, this tale of self-discovery and knowledge really shines for the audience that seeks it – especially when you could consider Poor Things to be one of the raunchiest mad science/fairy tale movies you could expect.

Poor Things is a frank and funny exploration of self-fulfillment that is also a gorgeous, leisurely paced slice of life.

A picture that truly earns its R-rating, Poor Things is an extremely frank and funny look at Bella Baxter’s maturation, both in mind and body. As a result, the film is very open in terms of discussing and depicting the subject of sexuality. That feels pretty rare at times in current cinema, and it’s even rarer when the subject that gets to delve into these pitfalls and perils is a lead other than a "traditional" male protagonist.

Never feeling leering or salacious past the point of good humor, Poor Things is more in line with a gorgeous and leisurely paced slice of life, of which sex happens to play a major part. In her journey throughout the world, Emma Stone’s protagonist gets to explore the various corners of the human condition and almost always on her terms. It’s that approach that actually helps amp up the humorous nature of this plot rather than taking a left turn into dour and grim territory, merely to challenge Bella's resolve. 

While there are obstacles, setbacks, and some moments of painful knowledge, Bella Baxter’s travels aren’t weighed down by many serious matters. At the same time, the levity of Poor Things’ universe allows the story to shine even brighter. It’s not always bright colored skies and quick witted ribaldry, as there are still moments where by expanding her knowledge of the world, Bella meets some of its ugliest parts. Good times or bad, the path is consistently entertaining, accompanied by sparkling wit and great humanity. 

Emma Stone’s tremendous performance anchors this all star cast, with a hysterical Mark Ruffalo almost stealing the show.

Watching Bella Baxter “grow up” (for lack of a better term) is a joy to behold throughout Poor Things, thanks to Emma Stone and her tremendous performance. Progressing through the stages of her second life as Dr. Godwin’s creation, Bella is a bit of a mystery, especially when it comes to the circumstances of her death. Starting from square one, we’re essentially seeing a child in an adult’s body stumbling through the world as any of us would. The only difference is, Stone’s character is a creation of science. 

It seems like an actor’s dream to play though such a role, and Emma Stone is in fine form in her turn. Once her interpretation of Bella gets to the point where she can really use her acidic tongue and inquisitive mind to their full potential, the fun really begins, as Stone, following The Favourite, once again showcases how much her talents thrive under Lanthimos’ direction and with McNamara’s words. 

While this is indeed Emma’s show, and the impressive cast of Poor Things does also boast the likes of Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichal, and Kathryn Hunter, there’s one participant that’s the MVP of the supporting lineup. Mark Ruffalo plays the foppish Duncan Wedderburn, and he delightfully relishes the role.

Portraying a cad of the highest degree, Ruffalo's smiles, sneers, and schemes are a great counterweight to Emma Stone’s defiance of convention. Much like his co-sar, Ruffalo clearly digs the Yorgos Lanthimos way of filmmaking, and his Poor Things antagonist is such a slimy charmer who, in any given moment is impossible to side with or against. His spinless nature leads to an wonderufl performance that helps color this world and Bella’s journey in all the right ways. 

Poor Things just might be Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara’s warmest film yet, making us think and feel like the best movies should.

For a film that deals with heavy subjects like suicide, injustice, and sexuality, Poor Things is actually quite uplifting. In fact, it’s Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara’s warmest film yet. Subtly getting its point across, the film is a prime case for letting your audience be entertained while a great deal lurks under the uproariously funny surface. 

It's visually stunning, but this isn’t merely an exercise in libertine delights, using any excuse it can to throw nudity or choice expletives into the mix. Though Poor Things does feature such content throughout, it’s never without purpose or reasoning that benefits Bella Baxter’s progression. Much as Lanthimos has done in the past, such traditionally titillating content is used as more of a statement instead of as debauchery.

Building its bones on a concept that would have been worthy of a classic horror film, Poor Things shows us not a monster but a life. It takes the time to show Bella’s personality, resulting in a journey that is a globe-trotting quest for self-actualization. The means of her creation don't matter in the end because Bella Baxter becomes a person through and through. 

While fairy tales are mostly consigned to the realm of family-based entertainment, adults have just as much of a need for fantasies that take broad swings in rich colorful worlds teaching us to be a bit kinder to ourselves while pushing forward. Poor Things is that sort of movie.

Poor Things has a stacked cast that includes Emma Stone in one of her best roles as Bella Baxter, so the project one of the most-anticipated films set to hit the 2023 movie schedule. (It's out in the U.S. on December 8, FYI.)  But the oddball fantasy—centered on young Victorian woman who, after being brought back to life by a scientist—runs off with a slick lawyer (a hilariously rakish Mark Ruffalo) on a journey of self-discovery and sexual liberation—is also raising eyebrows for its numerous graphic nude scenes. 

It's a "prudishness" that the film's director Yorgos Lanthimos (who also collaborated with Stone in the similarly provocative The Favourite which she was nominated at the 2019 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress) doesn't share. What's more, he doesn't understand the issue. 

In a joint interview with Stone for The New York Times, the filmmaker spoke about his frustrations over the way violence is allowed to be handled so liberally in film, but sex scenes cause such a stir. 

The actress also weighed in on the topic, giving on-set details about how the performers and the production team handled the sensitivity of such scenes. 

And given that the word "gratuitous" is so often thrown around scenes of such nature, Stone was quick to assure that the onscreen nudity was essential to the shamelessly sexual character of Bella Baxter.

When asked by The New York Times if she, in portraying Bella, felt "emboldened" to stay in that space of shamelessness as a performer, Stone quipped: 

Stone's fearlessness might just pay off in the upcoming awards season, with the delightfully weird Poor Things considered to be a major contender across the acting, cinematography, costume and production design categories. 

I’m going to be honest. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. The fevered sexual awakening of a character, Bella, played by Emma Stone in one of her best roles, is unlike anything else I’ve seen on the big screen this year. While it’s Stone’s performance in Poor Things that’s attracting a lot of attention, for me I had the most fun watching Mark Ruffalo just absolutely chewing up the scenery as aging rake Duncan Wedderburn. Turns out, though, it only happened because Ruffalo decided to say “fuck it.” 

The actor recently admitted he was actually scared to join the Poor Things cast in a role that “might be outside [his] scope.” He’s older than he was once, for one, and he had been thinking about where his career as an actor could be going over the past few years. While he wasn’t sure he could pull off playing Bella’s older, yet still childish lover, he really went for it, telling High Snobiety why he adopted the attitude he did. 

Instead, he pulled it off. Wedderburn is an outlandish character in a sea of outlandish characters, yet he’s the comedic highlight in the film. His despicable, gambling, goofy, love besotted, incorrigible, incapable, well-traveled, and open-to-the-occasional-slap character gets just the right amount of screentime and I honestly couldn’t imagine anyone but Ruffalo pulling it off tonally, even if it is a departure for him. 

It was a risk for the actor known in recent years for playing Hulk in the MCU. Sure, Ruffalo has had gigs that earned him acclaim in films like Spotlight or Foxcatcher, but none were nearly as out there as his role in Poor Things is.  This time around, he fully embraced a more zaddy destiny (shoutout to Chris Meloni for paving the way), and a strange one at that. He now believes the choice to play Duncan will only help him to find more creative roles to tackle in Hollywood in the future – even if he isn’t getting any younger. 

Poor Things premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September of 2023, and is set to hit the 2023 movie schedule in the U.S. on December 8-- though I wouldn't exactly call it an upcoming Christmas movie. The U.K. release will follow in early 2024. 

The 2023 movie schedule has been blessed with new films from Oscar-winning powerhouses Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone. Earlier in the year, Lawrence starred in the R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings, and this winter, Stone is set to star in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Both women have received rave reviews for their performances, and both films show just how confident and comfortable they are in their bodies. Now, it seems like the La La Land star has taken a page out of The Hunger Games alum’s playbook when it comes to filming nude scenes as Poor Things’ director spoke highly of how she handled the intimate moments in the movie. 

Poor Things had its international premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and while there, its director Yorgos Lanthimos spoke about how Emma Stone had “no shame” about her body while they filmed the sex scenes in the movie. In the film, the actress’s character, Bella Baxter, has a lot of sex, and the filmmaker explained that it’s an “intrinsic part” of the book his film is based on. He opened up about her performance during the press conference for the film, and said (via Variety): 

Lanthimos noted that he wished Stone could have been there to speak about her role, however because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, she is not able to promote the movie. However, he continued to gush about the star of his film, and her ability to take on scenes that include nudity and sex with confidence. He continued, noting that he and the actress have a great history, and that helped them trust each other and communicate while making Poor Things. He said: 

Along the same lines, Jennifer Lawrence approached her role in No Hard Feelings without shame and with conviction. The comedy features a sequence where the actress is fully nude while fighting some people at the beach. While they filmed it she was apparently super cool about it, and she was just eating grilled cheese between takes and hanging out with the cast and crew. 

Lawrence has also been open about her mentality surrounding nude scenes. She opened up about whether she used a body double on No Hard Feelings, and she said she didn’t. In fact, she didn’t even give the scenes “a second thought,” because she thought it was all hilarious. Her commitment to the bit really paid off, and critics, including our own Eric Eisenberg, noted in their No Hard Feelings reviews that Lawrence’s performance was the true highlight of the movie.

Based on early reviews of Poor Things, it seems like Emma Stone is the highlight of her movie too. Her commitment to telling Lanthimos’ adaptation of the story inspired by Frankenstein and her performance are being cited as "stupendous" as the THR review states.

I always find it incredible and empowering to see actors perform with complete confidence and no shame. I loved Lawrence in No Hard Feelings, and Stone’s similar mentality when it comes to nude scenes in Poor Things makes me think that she’ll also give a fantastic performance as Bella Baxter. 

Poor Things will open in theaters on December 8, and you can rent No Hard Feelings on Amazon.

Even though Stephen King hates it, The Shining is considered by many to be the scariest horror movie of all time. It continues to get better with age and has been dissected and analyzed to death (go watch Room 237 and you’ll see what I mean). As a landmark piece of cinema, many horror fans wouldn’t dare dream of it being remade and many horror directors wouldn’t dare try. But after watching Doctor Sleep, I think someone should give it a shot.

Don’t get me wrong, I love The Shining. It has some of Stanley Kubrick’s best work. But The Shining isn’t a perfect movie; its storytelling lacks depth. I think with the right visionary director, it could be remade well for modern audiences and feel more cohesive with Doctor Sleep. Still, to take on a seemingly insurmountable task, you would need a truly outstanding director at the helm. Here are the people who I think could make The Shining truly horrifying.

Mike Flanagan

This choice is practically a given. Mike Flanagan did the next best thing to remaking The Shining and adapted Stephen King’s sequel, Doctor Sleep, into a movie. Not only that, but he did the impossible by honoring Stanley Kubrick’s vision while simultaneously staying faithful to Stephen King’s book. And hey, Stephen King liked it, so that's a good sign.

Mike Flanagan also did a great job adapting Gerald’s Game, another one of Stephen King’s works. So, he seems to understand the author; a challenge many before him have long struggled with. That said, the biggest problem I can see with Mike Flanagan is that he might struggle to step outside Kubrick’s shadow. It's one thing to make Doctor Sleep, and something else to make The Shining your own, but I imagine he'd still stand a good chance.

Lee Unkrich

It might sound strange to tap the director of Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and Coco to remake The Shining. After all, it's doubtful anyone wants Pixar's The Shining. Lee Unkrich, though, has a particular love and passion for The Shining. He saw the movie when he was 12 years old in the theater and remembers wanting to make movies from that point on. Since then, Stanley Kubrick’s style has been a guiding light for Lee Unkrich’s directorial decision making.

If you look closely, Toy Story 3 and Coco have several easter eggs pointing back to The Shining. But even on a deeper level, he made sure everything down to the color of Andy’s shirt had a reason behind it, something inspired by Stanley Kubrick's obsessive attention to detail. On top of all that, the director has his own blog about The Shining. If that’s not devotion, I don’t know what is. All that to say, if someone is going to remake The Shining, perhaps it should be a totally devoted fan like Lee Unkrich.

Yorgos Lanthimos

Since the release of The Lobster, every feature Yorgos Lanthimos has directed has been a critical home run. Moreover, they’ve been increasingly strange, unsettling and surreal in the absolute best way. Not only can he tell a captivating story, but he also has a unique visual style that makes him a solid candidate to make The Shining his own and set it apart from Kubrick's version.

Perhaps The Killing of a Sacred Deer proved this to me the first time I saw it. The mood and tone felt very Kubrickian at times. Following a surgeon who is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice of a boy he's taken under his wing, it's creepy, disturbing and takes its time, finalizing the horror in one insane ending. But, Yorgos Lanthimos isn’t the type of director who does huge studio blockbusters, and The Shining would absolutely be that; so, he might not be a perfect fit. And yet, If he was attached to The Shining remake, I’d be the first in line to see it.

Panos Cosmatos

Mandy... need I say more? The bonkers love story-turned-maddened descent into the bowels of revenge and violence has everything in its cinematic tool belt The Shining remake needs. Panos Cosmatos’ visual style is like no other. It's ethereal, stark, bold and weird. These are just a few things that come to mind. But, he also knows how to gradually ratchet up the intensity until you feel like you’re losing your mind. That’s the kind of storytelling The Shining remake needs.

Unfortunately, as far as storytelling goes, Mandy is about as deep as a shot glass. Panos Cosmatos would excel at making The Shining a bizarre visual spectacle like no other, but it’s hard to say if he could improve on the adaptation and the story, which would be a big reason why The Shining should be remade in the first place. That said, if there was an announcement that Panos Cosmatos was remaking The Shining with Nicolas Cage playing Jack Torrence, I'd be all in.

Ari Aster

One quick glance at Ari Aster’s resume and you might scoff at the idea of a relatively new and young director trying to remake Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. But, once you watch Hereditary, Ari Aster’s first feature film, you might change your tune. Hereditary is a complex, disturbing and meticulous horror movie that on the surface looks pretty straightforward, but has so many twists and turns that the end will leave you speechless.

Ari Aster’s biggest weakness is in the adaptation of Stephen King’s work. So far he has only written and directed his own movies. It has yet to be seen if he could equally direct someone else’s vision. Nevertheless, if push came to shove, I bet he could do something really special with it.

Guillermo Del Toro

Two-time Academy Award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro knows horror like the back of his hand. From Pan’s Labyrinth to Crimson Peak to The Shape of Water, he’s a proven visionary writer and director that has a unique ability to creep an audience out.

But it’s his work on Crimson Peak that resembles The Shining the most. There are some interesting similarities, namely that it’s about an aspiring author who runs off to a large house that also happens to be haunted. While Crimson Peak is notably Victorian and leans heavily on the macabre, the atmosphere Guillermo Del Toro creates would be an excellent choice to helm a remake of The Shining.

Amy Seimetz

Amy Seimetz has a relatively short directorial resume, but what she lacks in quantity, she makes up for in quality. Her feature debut Sun Don’t Shine highlights her ability to juxtapose a loving relationship with deep underlying tensions that become uncomfortable, violent and terrifying. It’s this grasp of what lies beneath that could play to her favor with a psychological horror like The Shining.

But it’s in her sophomore feature She Dies Tomorrow where she really shows a talent for psychological warfare on the audience. In the movie, the main character, Amy, knows she’s going to die tomorrow, and this paranoid feeling becomes contagious, infecting all her friends around her. Knowing how to use mood and paranoia to scare an audience is exactly what a director remaking The Shining will need, and Amy Seimetz has already shown a skill for it.

Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele has only written and directed two horror films: Get Out and Us. However, that’s really all he needed to irrevocably change his position from a funnyman on Key and Peele to a master of the horror genre. He now has his hands in a ton of genre projects, including The Twilight Zone, Lovecraft Country and Candyman.

Both Get Out and Us are about as horrifying as they are thought-provoking, playing mind games with the audience well after the credits have rolled. Jordan Peele's clever approach to writing and his deft hand at directing easily makes him a solid contender for taking on such a huge project. He could bring both sophisticated storytelling and striking visuals to The Shining, and throw in some nice layered subtext for good measure.

Jennifer Kent

Jennifer Kent directed The Babadook, which is about as pure of a horror movie as they come. It doesn’t depend on jump scares and cheap tricks to freak out the audience. Instead, she plants a tiny fear of the Babadook in your mind and slowly builds on it until it becomes too crazy and overwhelming to handle.

The Babadook is about a woman whose husband died violently, and she struggles to love her six-year-old son. Over the course of the movie, her son has wild hallucinations of the Babadook, a monster that her son says is coming to kill them. It’s a slow-burn horror that increases the fear like a balloon until it finally pops. This struggle of a mother and son against a villainous enemy feels like a distant relative to The Shining. So it’s not totally out of the question that Jennifer Kent could take on the project and make it just as horrifying, if not more so.

Robert Eggers

Robert Eggers is also a relative up-and-coming director, but like many of the others on this list, he’s crafted some truly captivating and mind-blowing films. His directorial debut was The Witch back in 2015, and he just recently released The Lighthouse last year. Take one look at Willem Dafoe's crazed face and you might understand why Robert Eggers could tackle a remake of The Shining.

The Witch could be one of the scariest movies of 2015, if not one of the scariest movies of the decade. Similar to The Babadook, it’s a slow-burn horror that puts a lot of weight on atmosphere and gradual tension between the main character, Thomasin, and her devoutly Christian family in 1630 New England. Similarly, The Lighthouse is about two lighthouse keepers in the 1890s New England that gradually go insane on an island. Both movies deal with characters slipping into the mouth of madness and both are just as mind-numbingly horrifying and bizarre. Robert Eggers has a clear talent for telling unique stories in very unique ways. He also excels at driving his characters to the point of lunacy and violence like few others today. Both of these qualities, I’d say, are the perfect combination to tackle Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece.

Too often, The Shining feels like a pinnacle that can’t be overcome. There’s no doubt that Stanley Kubrick set a high bar, but we’re living in a time full of visionary filmmakers that have crafted truly bone-shaking horror movies. I think these directors would do a great job remaking The Shining. But what do you think? What director would you want to see tackle the project? Let us know in the poll and comments below!

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Unlike the 2019 Oscars, the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards did have a host. It was Parks and Recreation alum Aubrey Plaza. She was, to me -- someone who often feels secondhand embarrassment for awards show hosts -- a pleasant surprise.

Listen, even if you don't like Aubrey Plaza and don't care about the Oscars or other awards shows, you have to admit this Harry Potter joke is classic:

It's probably even true. Aubrey Plaza's opening monologue was filled with little jokes like that -- and while many of them (like that one) were probably too raunchy for the Oscars, plenty of them would've fit right in. Here's a sampling:

John Waters got in a great little dig, too, from backstage as the guy Aubrey hired to "direct" the show:

Burn. Check out the whole monologue:

Speaking of Aubrey Plaza and Parks and Rec, she brought her old co-star Jim O'Heir back for this classic parody of Netflix's Fyre festival documentary:

You know the real guy he's spoofing, right? Apparently Andy King begged the Fyre filmmakers to cut that infamous scene.

Anyway, the 2019 Oscars air tonight without an official host. It's not clear yet how they're going to handle it. It may be the best show ever without a host, since monologues can take about 10 minutes of air time. The Oscars is still meant to last more than three hours this year, since they couldn't convince anyone to go for that idea of taping some of the categories during commercial breaks.

But since finding a host seems to be difficult these days, consider keeping Aubrey Plaza on the list. Amy Poehler has shown that Parks and Rec hosts can do a great job, and Aubrey is bizarre enough to lean into anything that goes wrong during a telecast, just adding to the awkward entertainment. The Oscars deserves that.

The 91st Academy Awards airs Sunday, February 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

One sure sign of the fall season in Hollywood is the arrival of the costume period dramas. These are movies that typically don't stand a chance at the box office in the earlier months of the year, but do have a shot of getting notable recognition via award consideration (even if it's only in below-the-line categories). On the surface, Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite may appear to be one of these films.

The Favourite is definitely not one of these films.

Lanthimos has long been speaking his own special cinematic language, and while his latest is an outlier in that it's not based on his own original script, it's a fantastic continuation of his fascinating style. The comedy is black hole-level dark -- primarily driven by acrimony, paranoia, and just plain ol' meanness -- and perfectly juxtaposes the beautiful regal dressings; while also evoking three of the best performances of the year from its central triumvirate.

Set in the early 18th century and inspired by true events, The Favourite begins as Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) sits on the throne of England -- utterly miserable and perpetually ill while her country fights the French in what would be known as the War of the Spanish Succession. Anne's behavior is erratic, if not straight-up mad, and her general melancholy steers her interests towards more eccentric pursuits instead of dealing with the escalating conflict between political parties, and a public on the verge of revolt. What stops the wheels from totally spinning off is the presence of Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), a stern and curt advisor and confidant to the Queen who essentially rules as a puppet master via persuasion. And while there is genuine affection in their relationship, there is also no questioning what role power has in Sarah's feelings, interests and goals.

It is because of her pursuit to maintain her control of Anne that Sarah becomes concerned with the arrival of Abigail (Emma Stone), her younger cousin from a disreputable branch of the family tree. As it turns out, Sarah is right to be worried. Coming from humble beginnings, Abigail has intense ambitions and a knack for social climbing. Thanks to her cleverness and perceptiveness she quickly finds her way in with the Queen -- but it sparks a conflict with Sarah that sees the two compete for Anne's favor and everything that comes with it.

Admittedly, The Favourite is a film you have to be open to in order to really embrace, largely because of the pretty hardcore acid spitting that is featured. This is a movie that has a number of protagonists, but none of them are heroes -- or even really good people. It's a story of bad people doing bad things to other bad people, which is a tone you have to be tuned into. But if you're the kind of person who can laugh as people are maliciously shoved into manure, and servants are screamed at solely for making eye contact, this is definitely your cup of tea.

One thing that is for certain is that Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are all tuned into the feature's particular brand of viciousness, and it looks like they are having a blast the more spiteful, vindictive, hateful, and miserable The Favourite gets -- all of it performed with a nasty, wonderful glee. Stone in particular has a wonderful balance to play, needing to juggle both excessive levels of demure and ruthlessness, but it culminates as the best performance of her career. As Lady Sarah, Weisz is intense and excellent in a "extend a hand, return a stump" kind of way, and Colman does simply magnificent work with a comedic chemistry equation combining wretchedness and consistent low-level schadenfreude.

While The Favourite's underbelly is far darker and twisted than your typical Victorian period fare, it still maintains the gorgeous aesthetics of the genre, and is stunning even when its characters are at their most rotten. The costume and makeup work is beautifully elegant, not to mention the incredible production design and lighting, and it all serves as a wonderful and fascinating contrast to the tone and approach.

Much like the rest of Yorgos Lanthimos' work, The Favourite is destined to be polarizing, but it's also inherently only going to play to certain tastes. If you've read this review and feel like it's a movie up your alley, I'm betting that it will be. If you feel the opposite, then the opposite will be true. If you're personally in the former category, however, you're definitely in for a treat.

We're in the midst of a renaissance for the horror and thriller genre of films. Rather than stale sequels and predictable films hitting the silver screen, we've seen a variety of new franchises and original horror films hit the theater over the past few years. Many of the riskier horror films are produced by Film4, and now it seems they've struck again with Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The director of The Lobster is once again hoping to unnerve audiences this fall, and the first trailer for Sacred Deer certainly does that job in spades. Check it out.

Did you just get the chills too? The above trailer excites and intrigues, while also keeping the majority of the film's contents thoroughly under wraps. But let's break down what we're being shown.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer revolves around the Murphy family. Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman are the parents of said family, and they've got a young daughter and son in tow. Steven Murphy (Farrell) is a surgeon who has recently come in contact with a mysterious illness that is affecting largely young children. Said virus eventually causes paralysis in the victim, and from the looks of the trailer it seems that the Murphy children may end up contracting it, making the mystery revolving around its cause far more personal.

Furthermore, it Steven Murphy seems to have formed a close relationship with a sinister young man named Matthew, played by The Night Of's Bill Camp. The trailer keeps things mysterious and brief, but it seems that both Steven and his wife Anna will be manipulated by the young boy, which will no doubt put doubts in their marriage- especially when their children end up falling ill as well.

The cast of The Killing of a Sacred Deer is pretty small, but having Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell leading the project will no doubt help legitimize the film and put butts in movie theater seats. Nicole Kidman is currently riding high after her tremendous performance in HBO's Big Little Lies, which she was also produced. Colin Farrell has always been a major film star as well, and has recently captured audiences with his role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Rounding out the adult cast is Alicia Silverstone, which seems like a major win for the 90s icon. She's in good company, and could very well see a resurgence in her film career if the film is critically acclaimed.

But The Killing of a Sacred Deer does have a few aspects in its way to success, most notably the release date. The film is arriving at the end of October, which makes perfect sense given the Halloween season and audience's penchant for scared at around this time. Unfortunately, there will be some tough competition at the box office, as Sacred Deer isn't the only horror film arriving at that time.

The upcoming psychological thriller have to compete with the long awaited Saw sequel Jigsaw, as well as slasher Happy Death Day and The Snowman. And while the latter two will be released a few week's prior to Jigsaw and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, that's still four exciting horror movies that will be attempting to win over moviegoers in a short amount of time.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer will arrive in theaters on October 27, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos made a big splash in 2010 when his utterly bizarre feature Dogtooth was released and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film Of The Year (ultimately losing out to Susanne Bier's In A Better World), but only now is the filmmaker ready to make his English-language debut. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Lanthimos is now putting the pieces together for his latest movie, a strange-sounding project called The Lobster, and has lined up some big names to star, including Zero Dark Thirty‘s Jason Clarke, Skyfall‘s Ben Whishaw, and Blue Is The Warmest Color‘s Léa Seydoux.

Much like both Dogtooth and his last film, Alps, Lanthimos co-wrote the script for the new film with Efthymis Filippou, and while specific details about the plot and the characters aren't currently available, THR does makes note of its weird-yet-awesome sounding premise. The story is described as a romantic drama and will be set in a dystopian future where all single people must find a mate within 45 days. The consequence for failing to follow this societal law is that you get turned into an animal and sent into the woods. It will center on a man who is scheduled to be transformed but manages to escape. The trade sadly doesn't mention what characters the actors will be playing or how they fit into the plot, but I really only have one major question at this stage: where does the lobster come in?

Lanthimos' movies aren't exactly the most accessible titles out there, as its understandable that some people may be turned off by just how strange everything in his movies are, but if you're into that sort of thing his works are definitely worth a look. You can watch trailers for his two most recent films below.

Also set to appear in the movie, according to Deadline, will be Olivia Colman (Peep Show, Hot Fuzz), Ariane Labed (Before Midnight) and Angeliki Papoulia, who was in both Dogtooth and Alps. Production won't begin until March, so don't expect to see the finished product before the second half of next year - probably at the Toronto or Venice film festivals.