Poor Things (2023)
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A woman with an infant's mind in a Victorian body embarks on a journey of self-discovery and liberation.
The story
In a retrofuturist alternative late-Victorian London in 1882, a medical student is tasked by the mad scientist Godwin Baxter to observe a woman named Bella Baxter. Bella possesses the body of a woman who died by suicide, but her brain was replaced with that of a fetus, leaving her with an infant's mind and a sense of childlike wonder. As Bella's vocabulary improves and she experiences the world without inhibition, she begins to navigate the complexities of pleasure and autonomy. Her journey takes her away from the confines of the laboratory and into a world of exploration, where she must navigate the expectations of the men around her while discovering her own desires.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1882 London, the mad scientist Godwin Baxter replaces the brain of a deceased woman with that of a fetus, creating Bella Baxter, who possesses an infant's mind in an adult body. She is observed by a medical student, Max McCandles, who falls in love with her. Bella eventually leaves Max to travel to Lisbon with Duncan Wedderburn, where she experiences physical pleasure and later becomes a target of exploitation. After a period of travel and a stint in a brothel where she learns about socialism, she returns to London. She eventually faces her past when she is confronted by Alfie, the man she originally fled. After a violent confrontation where she realizes her past identity as Victoria, she returns to Godwin. Following Godwin's death, she, Max, and a companion begin a new life, while Alfie is left in a state of vegetative bliss.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers
- Tony McNamara · writer
- Cast and characters
- Emma Stone · Bella Baxter; Mark Ruffalo; Willem Dafoe · Dr. Godwin Baxter; Ramy Youssef; Christopher Abbott; Jerrod Carmichael
- Genres
- sex comedy; gothic comedy; black comedy
- Themes
- autonomy; socialism; feminism
- Tone and mood
- absurdist; whimsical
- Setting
- A retrofuturist alternative late-Victorian London and various European locations in 1882.
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; body swap; mad science
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, and performances, particularly those of Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, while being noted for its unique visual style.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 62
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · Win; British Academy Film Award · Best Actress in a Leading Role · Win
- Production trivia
- It is the first feature film to be partially shot on Kodak's 35mm Ektachrome color reversal motion picture film stock since its revival in 2018.; The film was the first to be scored by pop musician Jerskin Fendrix.; The film was a box office success, becoming Lanthimos' highest-grossing film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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