The Writer Explains the Many Surprising Twists of the Latest Sci-Fi Movie

Bugonia writer the writer barely recalls what transpires in the original Korean movie. It's a little surprising, considering he wrote the script for the director’s latest adaptation of the 2003 Korean dark sci-fi comedy. Instead of analyzing the original script for ideas, the writer behind The Menu watched the movie a single time, took a few notes, and started the process.

“I’ve only seen Save the Green Planet the one time,” Tracy says. “I couldn't clearly recall the movie all that well. My aim wasn't to feel like I had to be slavishly following or remaking or paying tribute to another filmmaker's work. The fairest thing to both films was to have them each stand on their own.”

While the premise of a emotionally troubled man (the actor in Bugonia) who kidnaps a pharmaceutical executive he’s certain is an extraterrestrial hiding on Earth is pretty much the identical in each movie, the differences are considerable. Firstly, the writer re-envisioned the lead role, originally male in the director's original, as a woman. (Lanthimos cast his regular partner Emma Stone in the role.) The conclusions vary a bit too, in the way they tackle their central question: Is this person an extraterrestrial or not?

Tracy believes that answer is a bit beside the point.

“I never was really concerned with the surprise element,” he says. “I didn't want the film to just be a gadget that performs a single trick, and then once it does that surprise, it's like: Alright, so what's next?”

Nevertheless, Tracy has plenty to say on the subject. Our discussion with the screenwriter touched on the film’s ending and its implications, along with the methods he and Lanthimos worked together to execute those surprises.

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

So is Emma Stone an alien or not an alien?

In brief: Yes.

Just like in Save the Green Planet, the conclusion of Bugonia reveals that Stone’s character, a pharmaceutical executive named her character, is in fact a royal extraterrestrial in disguise. Once she manipulates her captor Teddy (Plemons) into ending his own life using her advanced device, Fuller beams back up to her alien vessel.

The fact that this is unexpected is a testament to her performance. Throughout the two-hour movie, she keeps audiences guessing through a layered performance that may require multiple viewings to comprehend entirely.

“She talked a lot about how it was the initial instance she had to act where she felt she had to be aware of people viewing it again. How those rewatching are going to perceive,” Tracy explains. "She was aware the second time a person watches this film, They know that I know that I'm… understand?”

He trails off, before continuing, “Thus, her performance needed to reflect of that in her performance.”

Designing the Andromedons and their spaceship

After Stone’s character ultimately shows her real identity, we get a brief glimpse of her spaceship and other extraterrestrials before the film concludes. Their ship has a distinct appearance, which the writer shares was meant to look like a marine animal while steering clear of high-tech visuals.

“[The director] was really fascinated by almost like a jellyfish-inspired shape for the vessel, something quite organic,” Tracy comments.

They should feel oddly somewhat tribal or primitive.

The Andromedons’ attire is equally fascinating as their ship: rounded robes made from thick, woven cords. Again, the aim was to go against conventional science fiction.

“Regarding the attire, instead of being advanced, they [were meant to|aimed to] appear strangely somewhat tribal or basic, and yet also quite ornate and not primitive, because it's a very detailed and beautiful design on those strange knit costumes,” the writer says. He notes that Lanthimos “thought of it as being a extremely old society. He wasn't into the idea of any element being sleek and silver, or some ultra-modern cosmic vision.”

The end of the world (or only humanity)

Maybe the most significant change between the new film and the original is that in the original Korean movie, the aliens react to their leader's kidnapping and abuse by destroying the world. Bugonia takes a somewhat more nuanced approach, with its aliens choosing to eliminate all mankind, while leaving the planet and its remaining creatures intact.

“What I wanted to achieve in the script was a depiction of Earth post-human existence,” Tracy explains.

In the movie’s final moments, we see a series of shots of life across the globe. Every person are deceased where they were standing just before, but the world keeps spinning. What we, as an audience, are meant to interpret these events is open to discussion. Does the conclusion of the film hopeful or pessimistic? Are people doomed or deserving of rescue? Is the planet be better off without us?

The screenwriter does not wish to provide a definitive answer in any direction.

“Some people find it to be a extremely dark ending, or a sad ending, a hopeless ending,” he states. “Other people view it as being a oddly optimistic or happy ending. I think there's different ways to read it.”

The film is currently in limited theatrical release now, with a wide release on Halloween.