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Save the Green Planet!
2003 South Korean science fiction comedy horror thriller film by Jang Jun-hwan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Save the Green Planet! (Korean: 지구를 지켜라!; RR: Jigureul jikyeora!) is a 2003 South Korean science fiction black comedy film written and directed by Jang Joon-hwan. The basic story begins when the main character, Lee Byeong-gu, kidnaps another man, convinced that the latter is an alien.
The film was released on 4 April 2003. An English-language remake, titled Bugonia, was released in the United States on October 24, 2025.[2]
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Plot
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Byeong-gu believes that extraterrestrials from "Andromeda PK 45" are preparing to invade Earth and regards himself as his planet's savior. With the help of Su-ni, his childlike circus performer girlfriend, he kidnaps Kang Man-shik, a pharmaceutical executive he believes to be an alien commander who can contact the Andromedan prince during a lunar eclipse due to occur soon.
Held prisoner in Byeong-gu’s basement, Kang is subjected to various bizarre tests which include scrubbing him with a Korean liquid painkiller and an “Italy towel” used by ttaemiris. As the ordeals continue, it is revealed that Kang’s company poisoned Byeong-gu’s mother during a drug trial, linking Byeong-gu’s paranoia to personal tragedy. When a detective arrives to investigate Kang’s disappearance, Byeong-gu hides the evidence, but the officer later discovers human remains and is killed by Byeong-gu’s swarm of bees. Byeong-gu crucifies Kang and breaks his leg after he attempts to escape. But Kang convinces him that a bottle of benzene in his car is an antidote for his comatose mother. This kills her.
While Byeong-gu rushes to deliver the “cure,” Kang frees himself and uncovers his captor’s grisly research: bloodstained notebooks, jars of human organs, and photographs of victims. Reading through Byeong-gu’s journals, Kang learns of the man’s brutal upbringing: an abusive father, violent school years, and then in his mother’s poisoning and his lover’s death during a protest.
The murdered detective’s partner locates the hideout before Byeong-gu returns. He captures both men, prompting Kang to claim that he is truly an alien. Spinning a fantastical story inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, he insists his race once tried to save humanity by altering human DNA. He promises to contact the alien prince at his company’s factory.
At the factory, Kang activates a robotic arm that kills Su-ni and overpowers Byeong-gu. The police arrive and shoot Byeong-gu, who dies wondering, “Now who will save the Earth?”.
Aliens appear and retrieve Kang, who is revealed as their king. Disillusioned by humanity, he declares Earth a failed experiment and obliterates it. The credits show still photographs from Byeong-gu’s life, highlighting fleeting moments of happiness with his parents and Su-ni.
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Cast
- Shin Ha-kyun as Lee Byeong-gu
- Baek Yoon-sik as Kang Man-shik
- Hwang Jeong-min as Su-ni
- Lee Jae-yong as Detective Choo
- Lee Ju-hyeon as Detective Kim
- Gi Ju-bong as Squad Leader Lee
- Ye Soo-jung as Byung-goo's mother
Production
Jang first conceived of the idea for Save the Green Planet! while watching Misery.[3] He enjoyed it, but was disappointed with the lack of depth of the Annie Wilkes character, and accordingly decided that if he made a film about a kidnapping, it would be staged from the point of view of the kidnapper.[3] Later, Jang stumbled across a crank website accusing actor Leonardo DiCaprio of being an alien who wanted to conquer Earth by seducing all of its women, and he decided to combine the two concepts.[3]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 41 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "A funny and wildly inventive hybrid of various genres, Save the Green Planet! is definitely a unique viewing experience."[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[5]
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Remake
In May 2020, it was announced that CJ Entertainment would be producing an English-language remake of the cult film with film-making duo Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen, whose credits include Midsommar and Hereditary.[6][7] In February 2024, it was reported that Yorgos Lanthimos was set to direct the remake, with Aster producing alongside Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe from Element Pictures.[8] In May 2024, Focus Features acquired all rights outside South Korea to the project, which had since been retitled to Bugonia, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.[9] In June that year, it was announced that the film would be aimed for a November 2025 release.[10] In April 2025, the film was re-scheduled to be released in the United States on October 24, 2025.[11]
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Awards and nominations
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Notes
External links
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