Poor Things (2023) Movie Review
Director Yorgos Lanthimos has a body of work that is unique to say the least. Poor Things continues his trend of telling odd but interesting stories that definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. This particular project is adapted from a book of the same title by Alasdair Gray.
It’s a curious story about a woman named Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) who is brought back to life after a suicide attempt by a scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Her brain isn’t fully developed despite her adult body so she has to relearn speech, motor skills, and social skills. She meets a sleazy lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), and runs off to adventure in other countries as she discovers what it means to be both a human and a woman.
There is plenty that might be offensive to some. Bella ultimately finds her footing and independence through prostitution which might not be the most appealing message. And there is an abundance of sex (insert sarcastic gasp here) throughout the movie as Bella explores her own sexuality with a variety of partners. But aside from that, Bella is a woman who says what she thinks directly and points out the many hypocritical aspects of social life. One hilarious moment comes when she’s lying in bed with Duncan and points out that men are inferior because they cannot have continuous sex without taking breaks the way that women can.
The adapted screenplay from Tony McNamara and Alasdair Gray is full of quips that will make you laugh out loud and bookmark lines in your memory so you can ponder them later. Bella is remarkably insightful, hilarious, and at times naive. If you can get through the layers of weirdness that permeate the movie, its core has a nice message and interesting questions about humanity.
Lanthimos sets the tone with his signature fisheye camera, utilizing black and white tones that give way to color as Bella begins to fully explore the world, and emphasizing the bizarre in this made-up world. But it’s the performances that make Poor Things really come to life. Emma Stone is simply phenomenal, performing with a physicality that gets progressively smoother as Bella becomes more in tune with her own body. She is complemented by Willem Dafoe who is referred to as God throughout the movie (fittingly so as he is the one who “created” Bella). His strangeness as a scientist pushing boundaries and making ethically and morally questionable choices is perfectly exhibited by the magnificent Dafoe whose face has been made to look like a jigsaw puzzle. But the one person who steals the show is Mark Ruffalo who adopts a hilarious accent and makes the outlandish and sexually fiendish lawyer Duncan a delight to watch on screen.
Poor Things is a movie that’s difficult to recommend because it’s so incredibly unusual and would only appeal to a specific type of audience. But it’s a blast to watch if you’re a fan of Lanthimos’ previous movies. And the performances are some of the best of the year and will almost certainly garner some award buzz.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like sci-fi stories
2. You like Lanthimos’ style and his previous movies
3. You want to see fantastic acting performances from the main cast
