Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos returns with a wild, visually stunning journey that defies genre expectations. Poor Things follows Bella Baxter, a young woman resurrected by the eccentric scientist Godwin Baxter and raised as an adult with the mind of a newborn. Emma Stone anchors the film in this strange new role, supported by a sharp cast including Mark Ruffalo as the debauched lawyer Duncan Wedderburn who sweeps her off on a globe-trotting escapade. The production, backed by a $35 million budget from Searchlight Pictures, blends science fiction, romance, and dark comedy into a unique tapestry.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023 before its wide theatrical release in December. Critics praised the bold visual style and Stone's transformative performance, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie stands out for its unapologetic exploration of female autonomy and its refusal to conform to traditional narrative structures or moral judgments. [edit]

In a fantastical version of Victorian London, Dr. Godwin Baxter performs an impossible experiment by reanimating the corpse of a pregnant woman named Bella using the brain of her unborn child. The result is Bella, a physically adult woman possessing the mind of an infant. She lives in isolation within Baxter's home, learning language and social norms through observation while developing a voracious appetite for food, knowledge, and sensory experience. Her existence remains free from societal shame or gender constraints until Duncan Wedderburn arrives at the house.

Duncan, a dissolute lawyer fleeing his debts and controlling wife Felicity, manipulates the naive Bella into believing the outside world holds wonders she cannot find inside Baxter's walls. Convinced by his tales of adventure, she agrees to run away with him. Their departure launches a globe-trotting odyssey that serves as the film's central narrative engine. They travel first to Lisbon, Portugal, where they indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle. Here, Bella begins to explore her sexuality and physical autonomy with uninhibited enthusiasm. She discovers the thrill of prostitution not out of desperation but as a means of understanding power dynamics and human connection on her own terms.

Duncan initially acts as the dominant figure but finds himself increasingly overshadowed by Bella's rapid intellectual and emotional growth. As she matures, she becomes more critical of the patriarchal structures he represents, leading to friction between them. Their journey continues to Paris, France, where Bella immerses herself in the city's avant-garde culture. She attends lectures on philosophy and engages with intellectuals like Max McCandles, a socialist writer and former lover of Duncan who introduces her to radical political ideas.

Bella also crosses paths with Harry Astley, a wealthy aristocrat whose obsession leads to a complex romantic entanglement. Harry represents a different kind of constraint, one of wealth and tradition, but Bella navigates these relationships with newfound agency. Throughout her travels, she faces antagonists like Swiney, a cruel governess from her past, and Alfie Blessington, a young man obsessed with her. These encounters force Bella to confront the darker aspects of human nature, including abuse, exploitation, and hypocrisy.

Unlike traditional narratives where the female protagonist is victimized, Bella uses these experiences to refine her understanding of the world. She rejects the notion that she must be protected or defined by men. Instead, she asserts her independence, choosing her own path and defining her own identity. The story builds toward a climax where Bella must make a definitive choice about her future, her relationships, and her place in society. The narrative explores themes of female empowerment, sexual liberation, and the subversion of Victorian norms through a lens of dark comedy and surrealism. Bella's evolution from a blank slate to a fully realized individual challenges audiences to reconsider their assumptions about identity, morality, and the potential for reinvention.[edit]