Poor Things (2023) | REVIEW

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos — Screenplay by Tony McNamara.

Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthims’ English-language films have all had a clear and obvious imprint of his on them. We have seen this in the absurdist genre-benders The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer — both remembered for the characters’ deadpan delivery and Lanthimos’ distinctive style, with the former being a comedy and the latter being something akin to a psychological thriller — but also in the much more accessible period chamber-piece and Oscar-triumph The Favourite. It would’ve been understandable for admirers of his to worry that by becoming more of a ‘name’ in Hollywood that might lead him to abandon his recurring themes or distinctive absurdist style to curry favor in Tinseltown. If you have been concerned about that then rest assured knowing that it is not the case. Rather, his latest feature-length effort Poor Things shows that the European auteur has steered back in the other direction by having his most ambitious English-language feature yet be just as potentially prickly, boundary-testing, strange, and borderline inaccessible for sheer brazenness as his first two English language features. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things is ambitious, humorous, naughty, and off-kilter in the way art films are sometimes perceived to be by the average moviegoing audience, and, from my perspective, it also happens to be Lanthimos’ best work to date. Poor Things will shock certain audiences, but, make no mistake, Lanthimos’ absurdist and bold female coming-of-age film is one of the very best films of the year. Poor Things gives Greta Gerwig’s Barbie a run for its money when it comes to crowning 2023’s best film about the female experience and male attitudes to female bodily autonomy, agency, and liberation.

Set in Victorian London and based on a 1992 novel by the Scottish writer Alasdair Gray, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things tells the story of Bella Baxter (played by Emma Stone), a young woman, who has been brought back to life after the eccentric and innovative mad-scientist and surgeon Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe) found a pregnant woman who had thrown herself off a bridge. Godwin took the brain of the child and inserted it into its own mother, and then reanimated the corpse. The result is a woman who looks like an adult but who is still learning words, etiquette, and what it means to exist in the world. She doesn’t hold back, is upfront about her desires and urges, and she is very curious. Gradually, Bella builds an understanding with Godwin’s rather normal assistant Max McCandles (played by Ramy Youssef), who — after striking a deal with Godwin (the disfigured man whom she calls ‘God’) — asks for Bella’s hand in marriage, as a means of growing closer to her, but also to keep her in check. Although Bella accepts, it doesn’t take long before she disregards the promises of betrothal and runs away with the dishonorable and womanizing lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (played by Mark Ruffalo), who promises to show her the world. As Bella encounters the real world, her intelligence increases gradually and, eventually, to such an extent that it irks Duncan, who cannot control this bright and brazen young woman from wanting to help people and, eventually, seeking out sex work.

For me, the best way to describe Poor Things is to call it a female coming-of-age narrative wrapped in a surrealist Frankenstinian tale with elements of both Tim Burton and Barbie, but it is always very clearly a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. The style of Poor Things undeniably has Lanthimos’ fingerprints all over it. From a visual standpoint, the characteristic wide-angle lens shots (sometimes ultra-wide fisheye shots) are used time and time again here (I was pleasantly surprised by a, for Lanthimos (I think), new use of a circular vignette shot that creates an effect akin to peering through a keyhole, which I thought was quite neat). There is a focus on strange rules and the breaking of said rules. There are characters that speak with a deadpan delivery, even though it’s mostly just Bella Baxter’s delivery that is meant to stand out (and it, too, develops over the course of the film from the childish to the serious and clear-eyed). It is also just absolutely absurd and lovingly so. In addition to this, I felt that there are clear and obvious references to his other films with how he shoots operations and characters with animal-like qualities. But while it is clearly a Lanthimosian effort (the whole idea of having a character explore and rebel against social structures and strange rules is a recurring theme in his oeuvre) — as was suggested above — I also think there are stylistic elements in this film that I have never seen from him before. In the early stages, Victorian London (and Godwin’s home and workshop) is presented in black-and-white, but then, as Bella escapes the constraints of Godwin’s idea of her existence, she, and us along with her, sees in color. Lisbon, Paris, and Alexandria are presented with retrofuturist, expressionist, steampunky, and surrealist brilliance thus capturing a visual dreamscape that is understandably enthralling to Bella. The production design is marvelous, but so, too, are the costumes. Holly Waddington’s varied costumes tell a story all of their own as they showcase Bella’s development and response to the world around her. There are puffy and colorful clothes and, at other points, dark and form-fitting attire that complement her developing speech patterns. 

None of this would be possible without Emma Stone, who serves both as the film’s lead and as a prominent producer. I think it is a little bit of an oversimplification to dismiss this as a man’s idea of female sexual liberation, because Emma Stone clearly had a hand in this, and the film only works if she is on board. And, boy, is she. This performance showcases incredible bravery, as the Hollywood-friendly leading lady disrobes and puts herself in some very awkward and risky scenes. Stone never flinches. In what is undoubtedly the best performance of her career, Emma Stone is intelligent, daring, and completely in control. She masters every aspect of her instantly iconic and lovably shameless character. From the quirky dance moves and the childish first impressions to the confident and heady scenes later in the picture, there are no false moves. 

As Bella Baxter achieves bodily autonomy, agency, and self-realization through escaping the clutches and constraints of a male-dominated society, it is remarkable how men around her become more and more like little boys throwing temper tantrums. This is where Mark Ruffalo is absolutely pitch-perfect as Duncan Wedderburn. There is a moment in the film where he screams her name up at her with desperation and lunacy that I thought was hilarious. Willem Dafoe is also very good here, even though he is covered in make-up and prosthetics that severely disfigure him (impressive work from the hair, make-up, and prosthetics teams). Dafoe doesn’t miss a beat either, as he gets plenty of scenes to make a positive impression as his character, whose tragic backstory was also quite interesting to hear about. I will also add that Ramy Youssef, Margaret Qualley, and Christopher Abbott’s turns were also quite satisfying.

A near-masterpiece that I suspect will only grow to become even more admired as we look back on it, Poor Things is Yorgos Lanthimos at his very best. Its surreal style, its slightly uneven pacing, and its graphic nudity will steer some people away from this experience, which is a terrible shame because this effort features one of the bravest and best performances from a leading lady this century, a unique score from Jerskin Fendrix that takes you on an otherworldly journey, production and costume designing that tells a magical story, and a narrative all about the female experience and male possessiveness. It’s brilliant. 

9.5 out of 10

– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.