Yorgos Lanthimos’ new sci-fi thriller Bugonia is terrifying audiences not just because of its alien plot, but because its central conspiracy theorist feels uncomfortably real. Screenwriter Will Tracy has revealed the secret ingredient: deep dives into the darkest corners of Reddit.

Jesse Plemons plays Teddy, a man convinced that a pharmaceutical CEO (Emma Stone) is an alien bent on destroying Earth. To capture the specific cadence of Teddy’s delusion, Tracy admits he spent hours lurking on forums like r/conspiracy and 4Chan.

The "Logic" of Madness

"I didn't want a caricature," Tracy explained. "I wanted the weary patience of a man who believes he is the only sane person in the room." This nuance is what makes Plemons’ performance so unsettling—he doesn't rant; he explains his kidnapping plot like a bureaucrat filing a tax return.

• Digital Research: Tracy noted that real conspiracy theorists often cycle through ideologies—left, right, libertarian—until they construct their own custom reality. Teddy is a mirror of this "salad bar" extremism found online.
• The Twist: Spoiler alert: In Bugonia, the conspiracy is real. This validation of Teddy’s paranoia forces the audience into an uncomfortable position—rooting for the kidnapper because he happens to be right.
• Cultural Mirror: The film reflects a 2026 world where truth is subjective. "The message isn't 'look at this kook'," says a Reddit user analyzing the film. "It's that the line between a CEO's ruthlessness and a kidnapper's violence is thinner than we think."

A Career High

Critics are already buzzing about Plemons for awards season. By channeling the specific, lonely energy of the internet sleuth, he has created a monster for the digital age.