Poor Things

With 'Poor Things', director Yorgos Lanthimos has created a film that has quite a few similarities with the box office hit 'Barbie'. Both are about women who start out as objects without any self-determination and, in the course of a journey, find themselves and discover their freedom. Both films also impress with fantastic costumes, good performances, and, most importantly, a phenomenal production design.

But, while I enjoyed 'Barbie', this Frankenstein story is in a completely different league. Lead actress Emma Stone delivers perhaps the best performance of her career, and Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe are also great here. The absurd humor worked perfectly for me. I haven't laughed more in a movie all year than I did in this one. And ultimately, the world that Lanthimos creates is one that has never been seen before. It's really difficult to create something "new" in film in the 21st century, but that's definitely the case here.

All in all, I not only give "Poor Things" my highest recommendation, but it is also my favorite film of 2023.

First off, the technicals. I have no trepidation in saying this is the technically most impressive movie of 2023. The visuals are sumptuous, some stills are painting worthy. The fisheye lens, the discordant score, the absurdist and beautifully detailed environments...everything is operating at an extremely high level. Special shoutout to the title cards that split up each section of the movie. In particular, that last one will live rent free in my head. The settings are just perfection. From the very first shot of the movie, you know you are in for an audiovisual feast. Secondly, the performances. Really, this movie starts and ends with Emma Stone. In the most competitive year for Best Actress that I can remember, she is the winner. She puts everything into this character, not just from a physicality point of view but also the way that her facial expressions and speech patterns transform throughout Bella's journey. It's definitely centered around her, but the supporting cast does an admirable job (Mark Ruffalo specifically) in tandem with her. Third, the plot. I think, if I were to criticize the movie, this might be the one area. The movie is 2.5 hours long, and it does drag a bit in a few sections. I thought one or two of them could have been slightly tighter to keep the pacing brisk. I am doing this just to nitpick though because the other sections were brilliant, and I absolutely loved them. Finally, themes. This is a movie about liberation, and it tackles it across a variety of different avenues. Seeing Bella's journey of self-discovery was fascinating, and it was equally fascinating to see how often certain elements tried to contain it. Utilizing this madcap version of the world to really accentuate those competing forces worked. This is the best movie of 2023. Just FYI, this is not a movie you see with family. At all. It is explicit. Extremely explicit. And weird. And absurd. And so good.

this was really incredible i am in awe, definitely a must watch

I vaguely knew what to expect from Yorgos Lanthimos, but nothing prepared me for such treat. This is absolute eye-and-mind feast with bizarre steampunk/art nouveau setting, which reminds me of the best creations of Peter Greenaway. Best movie in last few years, don’t miss it.

Fuck it, five stars.
Far and away the best film of the year, and Yorgos's best too - possibly his 'magnum opus' whatever that means.
Jerrod Carmichael seems like such ideal casting for supporting roles; he's hilarious here and fully nails his character.

I want to watch this everyday.

"A woman plotting her own course to freedom. How delightful."

It's such a fantastical ride. Unhinged, explicit, mesmerizing and hilarious. Emma Stone has serious balls. Casting is perfect. I found myself snapping back into reality throughout the movie, completely immersed. Hugely relatable for women in ways some wont understand (men) :)

Mahmoud discover happy when he want. Watch Emma Stone.

A metaphysical universe, guided by cold rationality and maddening empathy, without the need for any morals whatsoever. Brilliant.

"Poor Things" stands out as the pinnacle of Lanthimos' admittedly short filmmaking career so far, already establishing itself as an instant classic. It's darkly humorous, whimsically bizarre, unassuming, and sincere, brimming with elements to cherish. Attempting to fully dissect its richness here seems inadequate in light of the film's ambitious scope.

a pure masterpiece, CINEMA is alive! Yorgos is a geniusss