Jesse Plemons' Jittery Mastermind: How Reddit Helped Shape 'Bugonia's' Suspicious Teddy Character
The 2025 remake of Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia', loosely based on the 2003 South Korean original, features Jesse Plemons as Teddy, a conspiracy theorist with a penchant for self-diagnosed mental disorders. According to screenwriter Will Tracy, some of his most valuable research came from immersing himself in online forums and social media platforms - specifically Reddit.
Tracy's unorthodox approach to writing involved visiting websites that Teddy might bookmark and return to, allowing him to tap into the character's warped worldview. He also drew inspiration from YouTube comments and 4chan, though he avoided creating a composite of the latest internet trends. Instead, Tracy sought to craft a unique individual with his own twisted narrative.
The screenwriter's motivations for this approach were influenced by recent cultural events, where misinformation often leads to knee-jerk reactions assigning blame to specific groups or ideologies. Tracy aimed to capture the sense that Teddy has created his own truth, cycled through various ideologies without finding one that resonates, and now uses those ideas to justify his actions.
As it turns out, Teddy's conspiracy theories are actually rooted in reality - Emma Stone's character is indeed an alien planning to destroy Earth. The movie expertly balances the audience's uncertainty about Teddy's mental state with the revelation of Michelle's true intentions, leaving viewers questioning what is accurate and what is a product of Teddy's fevered imagination.
Tracy's unconventional approach has resulted in a memorable and intriguing performance from Jesse Plemons, who brings to life a complex character both captivating and unsettling.
The 2025 remake of Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia', loosely based on the 2003 South Korean original, features Jesse Plemons as Teddy, a conspiracy theorist with a penchant for self-diagnosed mental disorders. According to screenwriter Will Tracy, some of his most valuable research came from immersing himself in online forums and social media platforms - specifically Reddit.
Tracy's unorthodox approach to writing involved visiting websites that Teddy might bookmark and return to, allowing him to tap into the character's warped worldview. He also drew inspiration from YouTube comments and 4chan, though he avoided creating a composite of the latest internet trends. Instead, Tracy sought to craft a unique individual with his own twisted narrative.
The screenwriter's motivations for this approach were influenced by recent cultural events, where misinformation often leads to knee-jerk reactions assigning blame to specific groups or ideologies. Tracy aimed to capture the sense that Teddy has created his own truth, cycled through various ideologies without finding one that resonates, and now uses those ideas to justify his actions.
As it turns out, Teddy's conspiracy theories are actually rooted in reality - Emma Stone's character is indeed an alien planning to destroy Earth. The movie expertly balances the audience's uncertainty about Teddy's mental state with the revelation of Michelle's true intentions, leaving viewers questioning what is accurate and what is a product of Teddy's fevered imagination.
Tracy's unconventional approach has resulted in a memorable and intriguing performance from Jesse Plemons, who brings to life a complex character both captivating and unsettling.
. He completely nailed that whole conspiracy theorist vibe, like he's genuinely spouting off some crazy stuff 
. What really got me though was how the film balanced the mental health aspects with the plot twist about Michelle being an alien 
. It was so thought-provoking and I loved how it left you questioning what's real and what's just Teddy's paranoia. Reddit must've been a goldmine for the writers, I can totally see them digging into those online forums for inspiration 
, but I gotta say, the way they got inspired by Reddit and social media platforms is kinda wild 
. It's like, Teddy's character is a reflection of our collective anxiety and the blurring of lines between reality and fantasy 
. Anyway, I'm curious to see how this plays out on screen - has anyone seen it? 
like teddy plemons character is soooo suspicious and the twist at the end was insane!! 
. and omg emma stone's character is literally an alien lol what a wild turn of events 
. anyways just watched it last night and i'm still reeling from the experience 
gotta say bugonia is definitely on my top 5 favorite movies of 2025 so far 
. I mean, using Reddit and YouTube comments as research for a character? It's like cherry-picking the most outrageous stuff to make your point 
. But at the same time, it actually kind of works... I guess? The movie does have this weird balance thing going on, where you're not sure if Teddy is crazy or not 
. Maybe Tracy was onto something with his weird research methods after all 
. But only maybe 
.
I mean, creating a whole world around conspiracy theories that actually have some grain of truth is wild 
. It's like Reddit's weird rabbit hole got all the way to the surface. The way they wove together the lines between reality and Teddy's paranoia is so expertly done 
. And now we're left wondering if Michelle's alien intentions are just a product of Teddy's sick mind or actually real 
. anyway, i'm super curious about that twist ending... is michelle really an alien?! 
. The fact that Tracy drew inspiration from Reddit's wild west of conspiracy theories says a lot about our society's willingness to swallow anything without fact-checking. It's like we're all just playing along with this massive game of "trust no one" and I think it's refreshing (and a little scary) to see that played out on screen.
I'm all for keeping our minds open to new ideas, but we gotta keep a level head here and not let misinformation run amok. It's like, how can we trust any narrative if everyone's just regurgitating stuff they saw on YouTube or Reddit?
, and I love how this film expertly subverts our expectations by making us question what's real and what's just Teddy's fevered imagination 
, but in a darker, more twisted way... Teddy's storyline feels so eerily relevant to our current times 
. I love how Jesse Plemons just dives into this role and makes it so captivating (and a little unsettling 
It's more like, we're all kinda lost in our own truth bubble, you know? 
And I love how the screenwriter, Will Tracy, went to those weird websites that Teddy might bookmark... like, what's the creepiest thing you can find on Reddit? 
And the way he balanced uncertainty and truth was so genius. I'm definitely watching this movie now!