Poor Things – Movie Review (5/5)

POOR THINGS is now on Hulu and Disney+ and it’s a dark tale of a genre hybrid. A wild Frankenstein-esque adventure. As a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos, I loved it. If you are too, you cannot miss it.  Read our full Poor Things movie review here!

POOR THINGS is on Hulu and Disney+ now, so you can watch it before it’s revealed how many (if any, of course) Academy Awards it’ll take home in just a few days. I would be very surprised if it doesn’t win a fair share of the 11 Oscars it’s nominated for.

A visually stunning dark adventure with a story that is part “Frankenstein” and part “Around the World in 80 Days”. Yet not really either of those as it is very much one dark tale and a brilliant genre hybrid. Drama, sci-fi, romance, mystery, and a very different coming-of-age story.

Continue reading our Poor Things movie review below. Find it on Hulu or Disney+ in the US and UK now (and in many other countries in a week on Disney+ from March 14, 2024).

A new take on reanimation

Poor Things is essentially a coming-of-age story for Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). This in itself is fairly strange as Bella Baxter is an adult woman. However, she appears to have the mind of a child. A child that has no inhibitions, a thirst for knowledge, and learns at an extremely rapid pace.

The origin of Bella Baxter is the very unorthodox scientist Godwin “God” Baxter (Willem Dafoe), who brought her back to life after she jumped off a bridge. Or rather, he brings her body back to life but replaces her brain with that of her unborn child.

This explains why Bella Baxter looks like an adult woman, but has the mind of a child. Because she actually physically does have the brain of a baby. It’s a very different kind of rebirth for our protagonist. Not only is Bella hungry for knowledge and adventures, but she’s also hungry for all kinds of pleasure.

Like a child, she goes on a journey of physical self-discovery which leads to her discovering how she can make herself happy. It’s both very innocent as she has the mind of a child, and extremely graphic as she has the body of a grown woman.

Her logic is often that of a child mixed with the scientific approach she’s learned from God – which is what she calls Godwin Baxter. She reacts to anything and everything she feels and experiences exactly as a child would. Including treating people the way they treat her.

Kind people receive kindness back, cruel people get punched. Simple!

A very different coming-of-age tale

While Godwin Baxter tries to keep his creation confined to their home, Bella wants to experience the world. And she does! We experience the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter. At first, the scientist tries to get her wed to a student of his – a very good man, I might add – but she wishes to travel the world first.

And also, allow her body to experience all the pleasure out there. Her betrothed Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) is not happy about this, but Godwin Baxter realizes there is no holding back Bella.

Especially as the somewhat eccentric Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) shows up and offers to whisk her away on adventures. He is a gifted lover, but also a slick and debauched lawyer. All parts of him are something Bella can handle, but Duncan cannot handle Bella. This, of course, results in him falling for her.

Finally, Bella feels free and has no intentions of being tied down by anyone just yet. She feels free from the prejudices of her times, as she travels the world. When she returns home, Bella has grown steadfast in her desire to stand for equality and liberation.

This movie coming out on Hulu and Disney+ just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8 is simply perfect. And speaking of perfect, the casting of Emma Stone as Bella Baxter absolutely spot-on. Emma Stone has no inhibitions and breathes life into Bella exactly as needed: No holds barred!

Actually, the entire cast of Poor Things is as intriguing and magical as the movie itself. In smaller roles, I have to highlight the German iconic actress Hanna Schygulla (Dead Again) as Martha von Kurtzroc. Also, Suzy Bemba as the warm and loving Toinette. Finally, Christopher Abbott, and Margaret Qualley.

Watch Poor Things on Hulu or Disney+ now!

Yorgos Lanthimos is the director of Poor Things which is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray. The screenplay comes from Tony McNamara, who also co-wrote a previous movie directed by Yorgos Lanthimos: The Favourite which also co-starred Emma Stone (and won Olivia Colman an Oscar).

While I know Yorgos Lanthimos is not for everyone, I find him infinitely more interesting than say Wes Anderson. Not to speak badly of another director, but I just find Yorgos Lanthimos bolder – and crazy in all the right ways – as a filmmaker.

Also, the man features both male and female characters that are wildly fascinating, flawed, and utterly intriguing. As a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos, I wasn’t surprised that I loved Poor Things. If you’ve enjoyed his previous movies, you cannot miss out on this one.

Just give in to his worldbuilding – of which he is among the very best – and go along for the wild ride that is Poor Things.

Poor Things is out on Hulu (and Hulu On Disney+) in the US, and Disney+ in the UK, from March 7, 2024. In other countries, it will be on Disney+ from March 14, 2024.

Details

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Script: Tony McNamara
Cast: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo, Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott