"All Of It" with Alison Stewart

Episode: Oscar Film: Bugonia
Date: March 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Alison Stewart sits down with actor Jesse Plemons and director Yorgos Lanthimos to discuss their film Begonia—a psychological thriller recognized at this year's Oscars. The conversation dives into the movie's blend of conspiracy theory, corporate critique, and alien intrigue, highlighting its unsettling, ambiguous energy. Both Plemons and Lanthimos provide insights into their creative choices, the collaborative process, and what makes this complex film tick.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting Up "Begonia"

• Premise: Jesse Plemons stars as Teddy, a conspiracy-obsessed worker who kidnaps his company's CEO, convinced she's an alien. With a looming lunar eclipse, he believes time is running out for humanity.
• Clip Highlight ([01:50]):
  • Teddy details "the signs" of alien identity: "Narrow feet, thin cuticles, slight overbite, semi obtruding earlobes... High hair density. You won't notice unless you know what you're looking for." (Jesse Plemons, 02:01)
  • Comparison: "It's like if you don't cook steaks a lot, you won't know when it's cooked. Medium rare. But if you cook steaks all the time, you just know." (Jesse Plemons, 02:31)

Delving Into Characters

Teddy Beyond the Trope ([03:30])

• Jesse Plemons on Teddy:
  • "It was very hard to argue some of his points. Some of his points I agreed strongly with and then some others not so much. So I think that was the brilliant thing that Will Tracy, our screenwriter, did—he gave both Teddy and Michelle very compelling, very objectively true statements, you know, dialogue." (03:30-04:02)

The Power of Collaboration ([04:17])

• Yorgos Lanthimos on working with frequent collaborators:
  • "Finding someone that you understand, that you can get along and see certain things in a similar way and you build trust... there's no fear in making a fool of yourself because, you know, everybody has your back." (Yorgos Lanthimos, 04:25-05:25)
  • Trust among actors and crew creates a "safe environment...everybody is there for the other and they're all having the same goal."

Teddy's Motivation ([05:36])

• What is Teddy trying to save the world from?
  • "These forces, these...powers figures at the top...a very real world enemy...capitalistic, inhuman humans. But...he feels like Michelle is both that...and also...an alien seeking to destroy the planet." (Jesse Plemons, 05:36-06:31)

Defining Michelle’s Character ([06:53])

• Yorgos Lanthimos on Emma Stone’s CEO:
  • Early scenes treat characters as familiar archetypes, using "her house and her daily routine...the assurance on her gait and her speech...the environment and the way she dresses" to show control. (Yorgos Lanthimos, 06:53-08:25)
  • The film then "challenges those ideas...revealing layers and layers of these characters' personalities."

The Dialogue Dynamic ([08:25])

• Michelle's line: "Let's have a dialogue."
  • "That sounds like...it could be human or it could be alien." (Alison Stewart, 08:25)
• Yorgos Lanthimos:
  • "She's trying to find different ways to approach it as a good, well educated, experienced CEO would..." (08:50)
  • The two characters continuously "measure each other and their reactions...try to achieve the goal they have in mind, which is different, at least seemingly." (Yorgos Lanthimos, 08:50-10:09)

Teddy’s Frustration with Corporate Speak ([10:09])

• Michelle invokes Death of a Salesman; Teddy objects.
  • "I have a similar feeling with this sort of superficial, you know, corporate speak..." (Jesse Plemons, 10:23-10:47)
  • "There's a lot of beating around the bush. A lot of words without any sort of meaning, you know, which was...extremely, increasingly maddening for Teddy, who just wants Michelle to...say it outright and plain. And, you know, he never got that." (Jesse Plemons, 10:58-11:39)
  • Quote highlighted by interviewer: "'Don't say income inequality. Just say a hungry child. Cause that's what you normally mean.'" (Interviewer, paraphrasing Elie Wiesel, 11:41)

Adaptation Choices & Gender

Adapting from "Save the Green Planet" ([11:49])

• Korean original had a male CEO; "Begonia" made the CEO a woman.
• Yorgos Lanthimos:
  • "It was just like a great opportunity to work with Emma [Stone] again."
  • Having a woman as CEO "changed the dynamic to be...more intellectual...maybe like the clash of two men seems to be more, you know, about machismo...it adds another interesting layer...that has to be fought on a more intellectual level, but, you know, less testosterone-filled in a way. In the end, violence...is not avoided." (12:10-14:14)

Why Aliens Compel Us ([14:14])

• Jesse Plemons:
  • "I thought so often about their perspective of us and what they must think of us and how silly and strange we must seem to them. The games we play to pass time and all of that." (14:23-15:03)

Memorable Quotes

• “You won’t notice unless you know what you’re looking for.”
  (Jesse Plemons, describing Teddy’s fixation, 02:08)

• “When you work together again, you can go further...there's no fear in making a fool of yourself because, you know, everybody has your back.”
  (Yorgos Lanthimos, on returning collaborators, 04:22-05:25)

• “He feels like Michelle is both that on the real world side of things, but also believes that she is an alien that is seeking to destroy the planet.”
  (Jesse Plemons, on Teddy’s worldview, 06:12)

• “It's important to start, you know, that way and then, you know, progress into a more profound exploration of these characters and their situation.”
  (Yorgos Lanthimos, on subverting character archetypes, 08:11)

• “There's a lot of beating around the bush. A lot of words without any sort of meaning, you know, which was...extremely, increasingly maddening for Teddy.”
  (Jesse Plemons, on corporate jargon, 10:59-11:39)

• “Maybe like the clash of two men seems to be more, you know, about machismo...it adds another interesting layer...to be fought on...a more intellectual level, but, you know, less testosterone-filled in a way…”
  (Yorgos Lanthimos, on re-gendering the CEO character, 13:15-14:14)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | Highlights | |-------------------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Teddy explains “alien” signs | 01:50 | Plemons delivers a darkly comedic monologue about physical alien markers | | Teddy’s motivations | 05:36 | Plemons details Teddy’s blend of real-world cynicism and conspiratorial belief | | Gender swap in adaptation | 12:03 | Lanthimos reflects on making the CEO a woman—and its intellectual impact | | Corporate speak frustration | 10:23 | Plemons connects with Teddy’s irritation about disingenuous dialogue | | Aliens and human strangeness | 14:23 | Plemons muses on the perspective aliens might have on human behavior |

Tone and Style

• The conversation is thoughtful and digressive, marked by Plemons’ darkly amused introspection and Lanthimos’ understated, cerebral style.
• Both display self-awareness about “Begonia” as both a satire and a psychological thriller, offering both playful and profound takes on alienation—whether cosmic or capitalist.

For Further Listening

Visit the "All Of It" podcast feed for more Oscar nominee interviews and creative conversations.