Poor Things
2023 · Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Original language: English
- science fiction
- romance
- comedy
The story
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
What it’s like
Saturated, fairytale Victorian-Edwardian artifice: the film shifts between hand-cranked fisheye lenses, sharp wide-angle lenses that bulge the edges of every frame, and sudden dollhouse symmetry, with colours that run from bruised teal and mustard to candy pinks and sickly greens. Interiors glow under lamplight and theatrical stage-set daylight, while the ship, Lisbon and Paris sequences feel stylised and hallucinatory, scored with lush, swooping orchestral strings and playful, slightly off-kilter waltzes. Its vibe is absurd, bawdy and bright, with a streak of sharp melancholy underneath, suited to a rainy evening with a glass of wine or a late-night watch when you want something strange and funny. The pacing is brisk and episodic, the emotional arc follows a woman learning the world from scratch and refusing to be made small by it, and her companions slowly become less certain of their own sense of control. Intensity is moderate: there is frank sexual content and nudity, some violent and cruel moments including domestic abuse and a few sudden, startling deaths, but little gore and nothing sustained. It is for viewers who enjoy bold, uncompromising visual style, dark comedy and feminist satire, and are not looking for something gentle.
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