POOR THINGS: A Frisky, Freaky, and Funny Odyssey

It might seem reductive to refer to Poor Things as an eroticly comedic take on Frankenstein, posing the central monster as a woman who goes on a sexual and political odyssey. That’s the simplest way to describe the film, but it is so much more. It’s an eye-popping adventure of surreal locations, philosophical asides, and compelling characters. It’s also wickedly violent, horny, and funny in how it approaches this weird tale based on the book by Alasdair Gray. And it rocks so hard.

Bella’s World

At the film’s heart is Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), the latest creation of the mad scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Godwin, having been experimented on by his father with the scars and weird digestive track to prove it, views Bella as his most compelling and heartfelt of experiments. He found her body in the water and was able to revive her with the mind of a child. She spends her days struggling to walk, forming words, and peeing on the floor as odd hybrid animals cavort about Godwin’s home.

Godwin can see potential in Bella’s development, even if she goes about it in the most blunt manner. When she discovers masturbation, she immediately starts showing everybody and discussing the topic in detail. Her shameless nature initially shocks the protege scientist Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), sent to study the young woman by Godwin. Considering how Godwin doesn’t shy away from anything about the human body, even talking openly about how he can’t ejaculate when asked, he views her development with sincere eyes on his deformed face.

An Odd Odyssey

Bella’s world appears literally black and white when within Godwin’s care. Only once she ventures outside her home with the seductive lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) does the world become more colorful and open. He takes her on adventures to the most colorful of 19th-century locations, where she indulges in big dresses, decadent food, and many rounds of sex. Duncan is amused by Bella’s simplistic view of vice, which he feels is her guide. However, as their journey continues, Bella learns the truth about the greedy playboy and how he may not be the right man for her.

The parts of society that make the least sense become vibrantly clear to Bella as she learns more. She attends a dinner in which she finds herself openly talking about sex and becoming so annoyed by a baby being in the dining room that she options to punch it in the face. Later, she’ll get some greater insight from philosophical guests on her travels that open her eyes to world problems. The world becomes more complicated beyond shoving pastries into her face and engaging in several rounds of intercourse.

Making Sense of a Strange World

Bella’s many interactions come with blunt realization as her mind broadens. Acts of giving away money to the poor and being willing to have sex for money deeply offend Duncan with his ridiculously fragile ego. Her observations on the power dynamics of sex led her to become an astute brothel owner, extolling the virtues of how to make a living and grow in the profession of sexual services. The world’s cracks start to make more sense when she realizes this is a broken world she can fashion should she choose to.

In a way, Bella’s perception likens to aspects of autism in how forward she becomes without filters in the best way possible. Her overt nature proceeds in a manner that goes from simplistic ignorance of innuendo to a firmer grasp of human nature. She becomes a richly defined character that doesn’t follow as passively through a misinterpreting world as with films like Being There. She takes charge so much that there’s no pity and only triumphant accomplishment by the final victorious shot.

The Richly Raucous

Director Yorgos Lanthimos holds nothing back in this film. Scenes of sex are explicit and outrageous, leaving nothing to the imagination and everything to the extremes of how erotic and hilarious the act can be. Scenes of violence are grotesque and wild, to the point where one almost expects the camera to follow right into the incision. Fascinations of the human body go to such lengths that dark humor is served well when Bella starts playing with corpses. An off-key soundtrack wonderfully punctuates all of it to assure the audiences that, yes, you are watching something as weird as Willem Dafoe vomiting bubbles and Emma Stone giving lectures on sex while in the act.

And it is so refreshing to see a hilarious film that is willing to go to such lengths. Rarely has a film made me laugh so hard while going so hard with its characters getting hard. This film has the audacity to showcase life at its most gorgeous and grossest, smirking all along the way. It has a freeing nature where it feels like nothing is off limits, be it the human form or notions of philosophical ideals. The sublime mixture reaches a fever pitch in its third act, where a prostituting Bella spends her off hours learning about much capitalism sucks. After all, if you have to perform sex on a guy with a hook hand to get a decent meal, something’s clearly wrong with the world.

Conclusion: Poor Things

Poor Things is a brilliantly weird odyssey of beauty and bile that goes down like a wonderfully bitter-and-sweet cocktail. This picture dives in head first, whereas other films only dip their toes. Watching this film was like watching Yorgos Lanthimos at his full potential with no restraints. The wonder and wildness on display are enough to make one hope those chains stay broken. Poor Things will be playing in theaters starting on December 8th.