It all starts with something magnificent. Teddy, your average Joe, is one of the worker bees bringing sweet honey to the queen bee – the one and only prophet at the center of the colony. For a while now, his mind has been conjuring an apocalyptic worldview: a conspiracy theory about amphibian aliens intent on destroying Earth. When flies appear to threaten their honey, Teddy decides to act. He teams up with his friend to kidnap Michelle, a CEO of a major pharma corporation whom they are convinced is a threat to his planet.

In his ninth feature film, Greek director Lanthimos is revisiting the South Korean sci-fi comedy Save the Green Planet! (2003) by Jang Joon-hwan about conspiracies and worlds “in our heads”. The title comes from a Greek word that refers to an ancient Mediterranean belief that bees spontaneously generate from the carcasses of dead animals, particularly oxen. In his satire, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, Lanthimos stays true to his style born of the absurd and a keen observation of people, sticks to his ideal collaborators: actors Emma Stone (this is their sixth collaboration) and Jesse Plemons, and composer Jerskin Fendrix. Lanthimos also returns to shooting in his native Greece and inviting non-professionals to appear on screen. After this film full of plot twists and an exploration of alternative truths, Lanthimos is reportedly taking a temporary break from filmmaking to focus on photography.