If you can imagine Frankenstein wherein the monster is a sexy nymphomaniac who, instead of terrorizing villagers, sets out on a coming of age journey across some weird version of 19th-century Europe, then you have an idea of what you are in for with Poor Things, the new film by bizarro director, Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, 2015).
Based on the 1992 novel by Scottish author Alasdair Gray, it is unlikely you have ever seen anything quite like Poor Things. This movie is fun, bold and erotic, and it hits a 10 more than once on the WTF-O-Meter.
Emma Stone plays the reincarnated Bella Baxter in what has to be the most daring and courageous performance I think I have ever seen. She is brought back to life by the scar-faced Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and set to marry his assistant Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), when she is whisked off on her misadventure by an attorney (Mark Ruffalo) who is brought in to care for the marriage legalities.
The production design, art direction and costumes are all on equal footing with Poor Things’ off-the-wall narrative and it’s all bordering on insanity – but in a good way. If you are craving something new and different at the movies, it doesn’t get much better than this.
