This weekend, watch Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons go gonzo in “Bugonia,” toss a coin to the new “Witcher” or binge Stephen King movies for Halloween.
‘Bugonia’ trailer: Emma Stone goes on a wild ride in dark comedy
A high-profile CEO (Emma Stone) is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists who believe she’s an alien out to destroy Earth in the dark comedy “Bugonia.”
- Yes, she shaved her head for this. And Emma Stone’s quite good – and may be an alien – in “Bugonia.”
- You can’t go wrong watching a good Stephen King movie for Halloween. (Or anytime, really.)
- Toss a coin to the new “Witcher”: Liam Hemsworth does justice to Henry Cavill’s former fantasy role.
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Emma Stone is making the buzz cut cool again.
The two-time Oscar winner gets her head shaved as a high-profile CEO who’s believed to be an alien in the sci-fi dark comedy “Bugonia,” and it’s another standout role in a filmography full of complex characters. (It wasn’t that long ago she was putting her own spin on a Frankenstein’s monster!) Be sure to see that on the big screen, plus catch up on some Stephen King movies before the arrival of “The Running Man” in a couple of weeks and return to the fantasy world of Netflix’s “The Witcher.”
Now on to the good stuff:
See Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons throw down in darkly comic ‘Bugonia’
After co-starring in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness.” Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons reunite with the director for “Bugonia,” which centers on conspiracy theorist Teddy (Plemons), who kidnaps pharmaceutical executive Michelle (Stone) thinking she’s an extraterrestrial bent on destroying Earth. I chatted with the two stars about the battle of wills that unfolds. “It was so much fun to have that tension,” Stone says. “You get into a sort of rhythm together and it’s like a dance.”
Lanthimos’ movies are usually weird but pretty great – see “The Favourite” and “Poor Things” – and “Bugonia” is his most accessible while still being super-strange. (Peep my ★★★ review.) But if you’re more interested in watching new movies at home, there are several newcomers on streaming services including Netflix’s Colin Farrell gambling drama and the latest “Jurassic World” outing on Peacock.
Binge a bunch of Stephen King movies for Halloween weekend
I almost forgot: Happy Halloween, Watch Party fam! Nothing screams spooky season more than a Stephen King book, and it’s been a big year for him in terms of adaptations. I chatted with the master of horror about his original works that were given new screen life in 2025, like how interludes in “It” inspired the new HBO Max series “Welcome to Derry,” and why he came around to an updated version of “Carrie” after first thinking it was “frankly a dumb idea.”
Most of King’s movies this year, from “The Life of Chuck” to “The Long Walk,” are available via on-demand platforms, and in case you’re looking for more, here’s a list of his greatest adaptations from the past five decades.
Stream Season 4 of ‘The Witcher’ – now with 100% more Liam Hemsworth
I’ll say it: I was NOT pleased to hear that Henry Cavill was leaving his role as the beefy warrior Geralt after Season 3. (He made a better fantasy hero dad than a Superman.) It’s been three years and I’m honestly still a little salty about it. TV critic Kelly Lawler explains why Cavill exited and how Liam Hemsworth was tapped to be Geralt 2.0 for the fourth season (streaming now on Netflix).
So does Hemsworth do the role justice? Kelly tosses a coin to the new witcher, calling him “fine, dandy even” in her review. The show “does not fall apart without Cavill. It does not necessarily rise from the ashes of his departure into a new and better series, either.”
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I’m @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
