Bugonia vs. Save The Green Planet!

A Remake from Another World—Cosmic, Feral, and drenched in Humanity’s Decay.

22 years later, Yorgos Lanthimos dares to remake the 2003 Korean masterpiece “Save the Green Planet!” by Jang Joon-hwan.

Despite my love for Lanthimos, this film, unfortunately, doesn’t quite deliver the same gut-wrenching agony as the original—even though the execution is technically stunning. I’m genuinely torn about how to feel about it.

Let’s start by saying: it’s not a bad film, but it’s not a great one either. This time, I’ll take a slightly different approach—comparing both films to see where each shines and falters, while keeping things spoiler-free.

The first thing you’ll notice—if you’ve seen both versions—is the colour palette. “Save the Green Planet!” embraces dark greens and blues, while “Bugonia” opts for rich oranges and reds.

Both are effective in building a sense of threat, but—and that’s my opinion—the green hues serve the story better. The orange, however, feels perfectly aligned with Lanthimos’s current aesthetic.

Keeping the same tones as the original would have felt like pure imitation, so going for a warmer colors make it feel more contemporary and ominous.

Both films run around two hours, yet “Bugonia” lost me halfway through—and by “lost”, I mean I nearly dozed off. It’s weighed down by dialogue that easily slips into rhetoric and monotony, whereas “Save the Green Planet!” balances its dialogue with bursts of violent action.

“Save the Green Planet!” dances along the edge of psychological horror and physical discomfort, even flirting with torture territory. “Bugonia”has its moments of violence and splatter, but never reaches the same level of unsettling intensity.

A remake shouldn’t be a carbon copy of its source, and in that sense, Lanthimos leaves his unmistakable Hollywood fingerprint. Still, Joon-hwan’s film feels far more decayed and dystopian—a film of a time, the 2000s—when politically correct wasn’t yet an invisible law.

However, “Bugonia” is more polished, more accessible, clearly tailored for a broader audience. That accessibility also reshapes its perspective—and that’s where the two directors diverge most.

The direction, of course, differs greatly—two directors, two cultural lenses. Joon-hwan thrives in the grit and chaos of the working class, while Lanthimos prefers the stylised decay of wealth.

Both handle the class divide with flair, but through entirely different textures.

Performance-wise, both casts are solid. Emma Stone’s portrayal of Michelle arguably fits better for the role; her shaved head and eerie makeup sharpen her ambiguity.

Conversely, Baek Yoon-shik’s Kang Man-shik lacks her magnetism but compensates with raw, unsettling force—his maleness also allows Joon-hwan to push certain boundaries further.

It’s not a gender issue, but a difference in how far each director dares to go within their respective cinematic climates.

Interestingly, the gender swap extends beyond the lead conspirator. In “Save the Green Planet!,” the abettor is a girl, Su-ni (Hwang Jung-min), whereas in “Bugonia” it’s a boy, Don (Aidan Delbis).

This shift subtly changes the emotional dynamics, even though some of the empathy between captor and captive remains intact.

As for the mastermind behind the abduction: Teddy, played by Jesse Plemons—an actor I’d protect at all costs—feels a bit muted here. In contrast, Shin Ha-kyun’s Lee Byeong-gu in the original radiates psychotic energy and conviction.

The endings have sparked endless online debates, and truthfully, both work within their respective worlds. They hit different emotional notes but leave the same pit in your stomach.

Both films hold a mirror to our species—fractured, hopeful, and cruel, highlighting the same uncomfortable question about humanity that feels increasingly urgent today. Watch both, then decide for yourself.

As for me? My allegiance remains clear—I’m still all in to “Save the Green Planet!” Sorry, Lanthimos, but this time you didn’t quite abduct me.