If you've seen any Yorgos Lathimos film, Poor Things is everything you would have expected and hoped for. If you haven't seen any of his films, buckle up. That's all I'll say.

Poor Things is a thoroughly outrageous romp. It's trippy, disturbing and brutally funny. You could summarize this film as, essentially, a feminist spin on A Clockwork Orange. Both films/novels explore the concept of freewill in an oppressive society. But while Alex struggles with his repugnant urges for ultra-violence, Bella struggles with her normal primal urges of sexual liberation and independence. What women are expected to do in this dystopian universe, Bella does the opposite, and much to the chagrin of her male caretakers. Despite being created in a laboratory by a mad scientist and saddled with the brain of the infant child she was pregnant with, Bella forms an insatiable appetite for exploring and thriving.

Poor Things celebrates hedonism, but in a way that's both honest and humorous. Lathimos finds freewill to be as necessary as the air we breathe, and at times, that challenges so-called "polite society". Consider Bella an avatar for the id. Or, perhaps consider her a pioneer and a rebel. Whatever impression you make out of this, you will be blown away by Bella, who is truly the heart and soul of this entire movie. This is the defining role of Emma Stone's career. She captures a level of vulnerability and aching desire that we haven't seen from any actor in a long time.

Poor Things holds nothing back. There's a lot of sex. A lot of awkward, unsexy, sex. Perhaps it's the most realistic sex we've ever seen in a film! The special effects here are some of the strangest and most inspired of Lathimos's entire career. Mark Ruffalo's performance as Duncan is by far the year's best comedic performance.

If you're looking for a cinematic spectacle this holiday season, you've found it right here.

Poor Things simply just wasn't for me. I really don't like to say I hate a movie... so we'll just go with "it wasn't for me". I did appreciate the production design and performances, but a lot of the cinematography and writing/directing choices just didn't work for me. Just a little too weird for my tastes. And felt way too long. I wanted to like it so bad, and was so disappointed to find myself disliking it so much.

I know it's been getting good reviews from most people - I'm in the minority here! So if you're interested, definitely check it out! I'm a huge supporter of going to see a film if you are interested in it and deciding for yourself how you feel!

For the reason that I'm completely unsure who this film is aimed at (aside from film lovers like myself), I will not be recommending this one, but I'll also state that this is one of my favourite films in years. If that intrigues you, then maybe Poor Things is your cup of tea. Yorgos Lanthimos is a director with a clear vision that I deeply admire. I don't love all of his work, but the worst I can say about any of his films is that I appreciate them. Well, Poor Things just jumped to the top of my list of favourite Lanthimos pictures. This is a pure work of art, in the weirdest, most bizarre way possible. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the brilliance of Poor Things. Let's dive right in.

The film begins as Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) finds the dead body of a pregnant woman. After taking her corpse to his lab, he makes an incision and removes the baby from her body. He then takes out the woman's brain and replaces it with her baby's brain. Then, much like in the style of Frankenstein, he reanimates the body and she comes to life. He refers to her as Bella (Emma Stone) and refuses to let her leave home. Much like an infant, Bella learns to walk, speak, and also learns every detail of her body. Upon meeting Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), the two of them form a connection and flock away to roam the world together and get very intimate. That's the jist of what sets this film in motion, so if that already turns you off, I would recommend not watching it.

If you're still intrigued, well then this film is a masterpiece. This story is told in a very unique style. As they visit real places in the world, it's done in an incredibly artistic and surreal way. This film is aware that the premise is impossible, so it makes the visuals and details match the absurdity and I couldn't get enough of it. The production designers, art directors, set decorator, costume designer, and the makeup department all deserve endless praise for their work here. They brought Lanthimos' vision to life in stunning fashion. The look of this film blew me away, on top of me already loving the wackiness of the story.

Honestly, all I want to do is gush about this film. The camerawork, the score, every performance, and even the incredibly worded dialogue all just made this a remarkable achievement. Emma Stone deserves an Oscar for her performance here too. I haven't seen such an odd performance done this well and this committed in quite some time. She's a true revelation here and her chemistry with Mark Ruffalo was hilarious. He also deserves all of the recognition he's receiving for this.

Poor Things is a very rare kind of filmmaking that doesn't come around very often. Yes, it's weird beyond what words could ever describe and I even watched a couple of people walk out of my screening, but I just can't feel that way. The craft onscreen is undeniable and I could only dream of ever being able to make a film this masterful. In every conceivable way, I believe this is my favourite film of 2023. If you're someone who is up for watching anything and willing to give anything a shot, I seriously can't recommend this film enough. I'm currently adding it to my list of favourites, ever.