An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
- Won 4 Oscars
- 120 wins & 419 nominations total
Anders Olof Grundberg
- Kid in London Street
- (as Anders Grundberg)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Summary
Reviewers say 'Poor Things' is visually striking with standout performances by Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. It delves into feminism, liberation, and societal norms through a surreal lens. Critics laud its unique cinematography and bold storytelling but note uneven pacing and character depth. The film's sexual content and portrayal of Bella have sparked controversy, making it a thought-provoking yet divisive experience.
Featured reviews
I loved this movie from start to finish. Went into it having zero clue what it was about, and only knew Emma Stone was in it. 2 mins in I leaned over to my partner and said "this movie is absolutely bonkers, and I love it!"
What kind of genius is that! All of the acting was on point, the cinematography was A++ the costumes and sets/scenes/CGI, I actually just can't fault it. I laughed so loud, so many times, and I shed a few tears too.
Very poignant, and poetic, with fantastic "morals of the story" I took away a lot, it had beautiful messages of self growth and discovery. Had the good, the bad and the ugly, all mixed into a weird lil soup.
Best movie I have seen in a very long time. Big fan.
What kind of genius is that! All of the acting was on point, the cinematography was A++ the costumes and sets/scenes/CGI, I actually just can't fault it. I laughed so loud, so many times, and I shed a few tears too.
Very poignant, and poetic, with fantastic "morals of the story" I took away a lot, it had beautiful messages of self growth and discovery. Had the good, the bad and the ugly, all mixed into a weird lil soup.
Best movie I have seen in a very long time. Big fan.
This isn't an easy film to watch and capture everything it tries to convey, on the contrary, it's quite complex.
I'm not a deep connoisseur of Freud, on the contrary, I studied some of his texts when I went to journalism school, but I remember very little, I'm actually unfamiliar with the subject, but clearly "Poor Things" seems to me to work with some points of psychosexual development human developed by Freud.
I may be talking nonsense, but it seems to me that the sexual phases of children described by Freud (oral, anal, genital, etc.) are shown in Bella's development during the projection, as well as her total independence and freedom in relation to the world and in the passage of each of those phases, without being repressed, allowing her to reach the superego.
While working with complex concepts of the development of the human psyche, the film also flirts wonderfully with the frustrations of love, and social, political and human issues, and I honestly couldn't capture everything the work was offering me, a lot of details must have escaped my attention.
So much content, so much complexity, inserted in a spectacular, wonderful cinematography, with exuberant sets, elaborated down to the smallest details, with perfect use of vivid colors and black and white, actors shining on the screen, all of them without exception, incredible direction, and a soundtrack very strange that fits like a glove.
I rate it 8 out of 10 because my ignorance really didn't allow me to capture everything that was being offered to me, and at some moments I felt a little tired from demanding so much of my brain, but it's a great film in all aspects. It's just not for everyone, as it's not what you would call popcorn entertainment cinema, on the contrary, it's the opposite, and perhaps the trailer could mislead certain types of audiences.
I'm not a deep connoisseur of Freud, on the contrary, I studied some of his texts when I went to journalism school, but I remember very little, I'm actually unfamiliar with the subject, but clearly "Poor Things" seems to me to work with some points of psychosexual development human developed by Freud.
I may be talking nonsense, but it seems to me that the sexual phases of children described by Freud (oral, anal, genital, etc.) are shown in Bella's development during the projection, as well as her total independence and freedom in relation to the world and in the passage of each of those phases, without being repressed, allowing her to reach the superego.
While working with complex concepts of the development of the human psyche, the film also flirts wonderfully with the frustrations of love, and social, political and human issues, and I honestly couldn't capture everything the work was offering me, a lot of details must have escaped my attention.
So much content, so much complexity, inserted in a spectacular, wonderful cinematography, with exuberant sets, elaborated down to the smallest details, with perfect use of vivid colors and black and white, actors shining on the screen, all of them without exception, incredible direction, and a soundtrack very strange that fits like a glove.
I rate it 8 out of 10 because my ignorance really didn't allow me to capture everything that was being offered to me, and at some moments I felt a little tired from demanding so much of my brain, but it's a great film in all aspects. It's just not for everyone, as it's not what you would call popcorn entertainment cinema, on the contrary, it's the opposite, and perhaps the trailer could mislead certain types of audiences.
Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his work from Dogtooth to The Lobster to Killing of a Sacred Deer to The Favorite. His work is divided among audiences but never fails to get a conversation started. Like most of his audience, there are movies of his in which I find myself drawn and can't look away and there are others which I find myself pulling away from. While Dogtooth and Sacred Deer never manage to grab my attention The Lobster and The Favorite are incredible. Poor Things is his most audience friendly film and maybe his biggest treat. Since the trailer alone shows how strange this one is going to be people are probably showing up for Emma Stone but the journey of Bella Baxter from child in an adult's body to fully developed woman is a journey that audiences should want to take. Poignant and surprisingly sweet for this director Emma shines in her best role yet. Everybody is great and Mark Ruffalo makes for a strong and funny support. Worth checking out for this alone.
Another fantastic movie from Mr. Lanthimos. One of the most entertaining retellings of the Frankenstein story I've ever seen. Maybe the best. That's definitely debatable.
The story was marvelous and well written. It's split into acts based on Bella's (Emma Stone) journey. Speaking of Emma Stone, she was incredible here. Some of her best work imo. Her ability to show the different sides of Bella's development was astounding. Everyone is cooking honestly. Mark Ruffalo is in his bag. Really doing something new and different for him. William DeFoe is crushing as always. And even the side characters all come through with great performances.
Some of the cinematography was top notch. Really felt like you were watching a watercolor painting come to life.
I loved this movie. Only a 9/10 because it felt a lil long. Definitely worth a watch for fans of his work!
The story was marvelous and well written. It's split into acts based on Bella's (Emma Stone) journey. Speaking of Emma Stone, she was incredible here. Some of her best work imo. Her ability to show the different sides of Bella's development was astounding. Everyone is cooking honestly. Mark Ruffalo is in his bag. Really doing something new and different for him. William DeFoe is crushing as always. And even the side characters all come through with great performances.
Some of the cinematography was top notch. Really felt like you were watching a watercolor painting come to life.
I loved this movie. Only a 9/10 because it felt a lil long. Definitely worth a watch for fans of his work!
This is a very unusual movie. I enjoyed watching it, even though it felt awkward at times (as promised by the creators and many reviewers). In my opinion, many users who gave it a 1/10, missed the point. For sure, it is a movie for very mature and sophisticated audiences. It contains a lot of ugly truths about the world, so don't watch it if those bother you. (Don't watch it with teenagers, either, wait until they are 20 or 21.) I appreciated the creative direction, cinematography, and Emma Stone's acting talent. The plot covers multiple aspects of privilege and abuse in thought-provoking ways. On a very high level, you could say that it has some similarities to Barbie, but a very different approach. It is almost the anti-Barbie. The contrast between these two 2023 movies is definitely worth a class discussion in some graduate course of film criticism.
Did you know
- TriviaWillem Dafoe described the makeup process, "Four hours in, two hours out every day - I'm showing up at three o'clock in the morning, sitting in the chair, meditating and trying to deal with standing still. You can't sleep because it's intricate enough that you've got to work with the people applying it. It's a grind, but I liked working with a mask in there - quite literally, a mask."
- GoofsMark Ruffalo's attempt at a British accent is extremely unconvincing.
However, an unconvincing accent is simply a limitation of the actor's ability and not a mistake on the part of the filmmakers. Also, what is considered unconvincing is a subjective matter of opinion.
- Quotes
Bella Baxter: [on the wailing infant] I must go punch that baby.
- Crazy creditsThe opening and closing credits are shown as a frame around the image.
- Alternate versionsThe UK's BBFC viewed the film during editing to provide advice on classification, and informed the distributor it required changes to one short sequence to secure an "18" rating. The scene depicted sexual activity in the presence of children. Under UK law, this could be illegal and therefore required removal before being distributed within the country. The changes were made before formal classification, and this same version of the film was ultimately released everywhere.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Movies of 2023 (2023)
- How long is Poor Things?Powered by Alexa
- Why would a baby's mind progress at an accelerated pace as a result of being transplanted into an adult body?
- Does this film condone pedophilia and child rape?
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Pobres criaturas
- Filming locations
- Origo Film Studio, Budapest, Hungary(soundstages)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $35,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $34,553,225
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $661,230
- Dec 10, 2023
- Gross worldwide
- $117,625,455
- Runtime2 hours 21 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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