By Nicholas Kobe, Staff Writer 

[Film 4; 2023]

Rating: 6/10

What did I just watch? That’s the main question I asked myself at the end of Poor Things. Even knowing it was a “dark comedy” hardly prepared me for the absolute trip this movie was from start to finish. Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is an adaptation of a novel by Alasdair Gray. It stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a woman brought back to life by Willem Dafoe’s Dr. Godwin Baxter. Along with Ramy Yuseff’s Max McCandles, we learn Dr. Baxter brought Bella back to life after swapping her brain with an infant. As an infant trapped inside an adult’s body, Bella “grows up” and as outside influences creep into the careful world Dr. Baxter created for her, mostly via the introduction of Mark Rufalo’s Duncan Weddburn, things go south fast.

While I have little experience in the dark comedy genre, Poor Things leans much closer to “dark” than “comedy.” Bella is constantly exploited by almost every person in this movie. While some of these sequences lead to the comedy you’d expect, for a majority of the runtime, I just felt awful for Bella. Her portrayal is very close to someone with autism, something the movie clearly intends, as McCandle’s first describes her as “a beautiful r****d”. 

For me, this makes a lot of the exploitation she faced, and her general naivety, very hard to stomach. This carries over tenfold to the sex scenes, of which there are quite a few. At least personally, Bella’s situation made a lot of the awkward moments or predicaments she’d find herself in hard to laugh at. For a movie that’s very intentional, there are moments I felt like it was punching down at Bella. As an adaptation of an older novel, some of the context is lost in adaptation, but I still believe that a lot of the movie isn’t clear exactly who, or what, is the butt of the joke. 

Read more: Movie Review: Killers of the Flower Moon

All of this is not to say the movie is without its funny moments. Watching Mark Rufalo’s Duncan Weddburn crumble under the weight of his own scumminess is funny, and the irony of him blaming Bella for all of it when it’s a product of his own doing, is well done. There are also just some generally funny gags throughout the movie. I’d say overall, laughs were rarer than I’d expected. Even though it is a “dark comedy,” comedy is still part of the genre, and for a comedy to be light on laughs is a pretty major sin. 

In terms of the movie’s message, I think it’s a mixed bag. Considering how old the source material is, the “powerful men exploit vulnerable women for their benefit” is pretty on the nose throughout. The pleasant surprises come in at the back half when Bella gets really into reading and chatting philosophy with other characters, Ms. Prim and Harry Astley, played by Vicki Pepperdine and Jerrod Carmichael. Ms. Prim is probably the first well-meaning person Bella meets, and Harry’s nihilism serves as an interesting counter to Bella’s wonder.

The only other major problem I have with the plot is that the final act feels rather rushed and lacks proper setup, which is saying something considering this is a two-and-a-half-hour movie. Considering this follows up two of the best segments in the movie, it’s a noticeable dip in quality.

In terms of the fundamentals of a film, Poor Things is firing on all cylinders. The cinematography, especially the choices with black and white in the first act, is very well done. This movie’s visual aesthetic is also one of its best features. Mixing Victorian and steampunk with sci-fi is such a great concept. While the world of this movie is never fully explored, it does lead to some captivating visual moments. 

I couldn’t find a single reason to critique any of the acting performances. While the entire cast is fantastic, top to bottom, Emma Stone is the clear standout. The way she moves, looks, and talks to every character in the movie is phenomenal. While Bella’s characterization has its flaws, Stone acts in a way that makes it clear she’s doing exactly what was envisioned for this movie. Bella is so central to the plot, that I’d argue an unfair amount of weight is put on Emma Stone to carry this movie through a very complicated character. Stone, however, makes it look easy.

Poor Things is one of the most thought-provoking, and hardest-to-pin-down, movies I’ve seen in a while. It is pretty undeniably phenomenal in terms of acting, directing, and moment-to-moment dialogue. Where Poor Things struggles is far more subjective. I could see a world where some entity, such as The Academy Awards, would love this movie. But I also understand a world where, for a lot of viewers, this is a hard watch that is more uncomfortable than funny.

As a concept, the plot is so difficult. It’s impressive that this movie works as well as it does. It shows a lot of talent behind the entire cast and crew. What keeps it from hitting the same highs as movies like Killers of the Flower Moon is its lack of personally enjoyable comedy and a rushed ending. Still, the more objectively great elements ensure that Poor Things is still a good movie. While maybe not “fun,” it certainly gets you to think in a way that, in my opinion, is always welcome.