Poor Things
The brief
Lanthimos serves up his most accessible weirdness yet with this gorgeously deranged feminist fairy tale that feels like Victorian literature filtered through a fever dream. Emma Stone commits fully to playing a woman-child discovering the world with zero shame, while the production design creates a steampunk wonderland that's equal parts beautiful and disturbing. It moves at a deliberate pace that lets you soak in every bizarre detail, building from awkward comedy to something genuinely moving about female autonomy. Perfect for anyone who loved The Favourite or wants their period pieces served with a heavy dose of surreal body horror.
The verdict
If you have a taste for bizarre visuals and unconventional storytelling that challenges social norms, this gorgeously twisted feminist fairy tale will captivate you with its fearless weirdness and stunning production design. If you prefer straightforward narratives or are squeamish about surreal body horror and explicit content, the deliberately paced 141-minute runtime will feel like an endurance test.
Watch with
- 👥 Art house film lovers who appreciate weird cinema
- 👫 Date night for adventurous couples
- ⚠️ Not for conservative viewers or those squeamish about sex/body horror
Heads up
- Frequent explicit sexual content and nudity (frequent)
- Disturbing body horror and surgical imagery (moderate)
- Brief but graphic violence (brief)
- Themes of suicide and self-harm (implied)
Credits
- Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast
- Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley
We Reviewed This Film
Dive deeper into what makes this film special with our in-depth analysis.
Read Full ReviewOfficial synopsis
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a debauched lawyer on a whirlwind
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Both feature surreal psychological journeys with darkly comedic Lanthimos-style absurdism.
Total runtime: 2h 21m + 2h 59m = 5h 20m
