In 2020, Parasite shocked Hollywood when it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English language film to claim the top prize. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the darkly comic thriller blurred genres, mixing social satire, suspense, and family drama while exposing class divides with razor-sharp storytelling. Its historic win did not just celebrate a single film; it signaled that bold, genre-bending international stories could captivate global audiences and the Oscars alike.

Now, another unconventional project is drawing attention, which might just pull off another Parasite moment: the Emma Stone-starring Bugonia. 

Bugonia might just pull off the kind of Oscar shocker that Parasite did back in 2020. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this black comedy thriller stars Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller, the icy chief executive of pharma giant Auxolith, who gets snatched by trickster cousins Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis).

They are certain she is an Andromedan alien wiping out bees, zombifying people, and dooming Earth, a premise straight out of the 2003 Korean flick Save the Green Planet!. It is Lanthimos' wildest yet, blending his off-kilter humor with escalating tension and shocking twists, including basement t------ and a s------ vest gone wrong, before landing on a nihilistic gut-punch ending where humanity bites the dust.

Critics are calling it his best work yet, visually stunning and emotionally raw, with Plemons and Stone locked in a brutal power struggle that feels like a monologue duel. If Poor Things earned him major nominations, this film could push things even further. Especially seeing how the Academy has grown increasingly fond of genre mashups in recent years.

Parasite combined class satire, thriller tension, and dark comedy to win Best Picture. Everything Everywhere All at Once threw multiverse chaos into the mix and swept major awards, except one. Bugonia fits that mold perfectly. Here, sci-fi paranoia collides with corporate horror, while Teddy's bee apiary rants echo today's QAnon-fueled, wrong information-soaked world.

The film never feels preachy. Instead, Lanthimos twists absurdity into a mirror reflecting elite distrust and existential dread, much like Bong Joon-ho skewered inequality in Parasite. Modern Academy voters increasingly reward this kind of bold storytelling over traditional prestige dramas.

With strong early buzz, including an IMDb rating hovering around 7.5 and praise from outlets like Variety, which called its vision “scalding,” Bugonia carries genuine upset potential. If Oscar voters want bold cinema reflecting chaotic modern anxieties, Bugonia could become the envelope-pushing contender that surprises everyone.

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Talking of pushing boundaries, a fictional K-pop group is preparing to storm the Oscars stage in a very different way.

The fictional girl group HUNTR/X from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters is set to take the stage at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15 with a live performance of their hit track 'Golden'. Vocalists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will bring the song to life during the ceremony, complete with glowing light sticks teased by the Academy itself. 

The animated film itself, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, is also nominated for Best Animated Feature alongside titles such as Arco, Elio, and Zootopia 2. The project has already seen major success during awards season, winning Best Animated Feature at the 83rd Golden Globes and taking home Best Song for 'Golden'.

The soundtrack became one of 2025's biggest releases, topping the Billboard 200 and achieving a Double Platinum status. Its music video also crossed one billion views on YouTube. Whether it is Bugonia pushing bold cinematic boundaries or HUNTR/X bringing animated music to a live Oscars stage, the upcoming ceremony could once again prove that unexpected storytelling still has the power to redefine the awards season.

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What do you think of Bugonia's chances at the Oscars? Let us know in the comments.