Poor Things

A delightfully twisted fairy tale with the sharpest of satirical edges, Poor Things is both unsettling and thrilling, often simultaneously.

An offbeat coming-of-age tale at its core, this visually extravagant period drama from director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) balances absurdist dark comedy with a disturbing look at medical ethics, reincarnation, exploitation, oppressive gender politics, and ultimately, empowerment.

Fully committed performances drive a film that’s both challenging and captivating as it generates emotional depth and thematic complexity beneath the peculiar surface.

In 19th century London, we’re immersed into a freak show of mutant cross-bred animals, grotesque scientific experimentation, and sexual perversion.

There’s a hint of Frankenstein in the genetic scrambling of deformed professor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), who effectively reanimates Bella (Emma Stone) after she committed suicide by inserting an infant’s brain into her corpse.

After an awkward and unsteady beginning, naturally, Bella begins to come of age, perhaps a little too quickly for Godwin’s liking. He hires an intern, Max (Ramy Youssef), to become her companion, and eventually, her romantic interest.

However, Bella is eager to flee and explore the world, as well as satisfy her uninhibited sexual desires. She impetuously tags along with overbearing lawyer Duncan (Mark Ruffalo) for a cruise to Lisbon. “Forgive my kidnapping of you, but it was for love,” he cries. It’s not long before his plan backfires in humiliating fashion.

Stone channels this firecracker unpredictability into a ferocious portrayal along Bella’s fantastical odyssey of self-discovery and sexual awakening, unleashing some amusing deadpan barbs the tighter she turns the screws by masking manipulation and simple-minded naivete.

We’re drawn to Bella despite her reckless impulses and lack of empathy because she refuses to be controlled or constrained by the men around her. Of those tormentors, Max seems to care the most, yet he comes off as jealous and self-serving.

Toggling between black-and-white and various color palettes, the ambitious film constantly borders on pretentious with its array of idiosyncratic flourishes. Still, it’s gorgeous and meticulously detailed, from costumes to sets to camerawork — angles, movements, and lenses.

The latest bold and original vision from Lanthimos and Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara — who adapted Alasdair Gray’s novel — pokes fun at stuffy aristocracy along the way,

This parade of oddballs and anachronisms is not for all tastes. But Poor Things is rich in surreal style and subversive wit.

Rated R, 141 minutes.