Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos returned to the Venice Film Festival on Thursday night with ‘Bugonia,’ a disturbing new thriller that, for many, pushed boundaries even further than their Oscar-winning collaboration ‘Poor Things.’

The film, which stars Stone as a high-powered CEO kidnapped by an employee (Jesse Plemons) who believes she is an alien, drew audible gasps from the audience. Several scenes between captor and captive were so graphic that viewers were seen covering their eyes during the screening at the Sala Grande Theatre.

When the credits rolled, the Venice audience responded with a standing ovation that lasted six minutes. Stone, Plemons, Lanthimos, and co-stars including Alicia Silverstone joined screenwriter Will Tracy on stage to acknowledge the extended applause.

Despite steady rain earlier in the evening, crowds gathered outside to greet the cast. Stone and Plemons walked the red carpet, stopping to pose for photos and sign autographs. Fans chanted Stone’s name repeatedly until she approached the barricades for selfies.

‘Bugonia’ is the English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean film ‘Save the Green Planet.’ It represents the fourth collaboration between Lanthimos and Stone, following ‘The Favourite,’ ‘Poor Things,’ and ‘Kinds of Kindness.’

MORE NEWS