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Poor Things

  • 2023
  • R
  • 2h 21m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
343K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
192
20
Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Emma Stone, Christopher Abbott, Ramy Youssef, and Jerrod Carmichael in Poor Things (2023)
The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
Play trailer1:05
23 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedySteampunkComedyDramaRomanceSci-Fi

An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.

  • Director
    • Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Writers
    • Tony McNamara
    • Alasdair Gray
  • Stars
    • Emma Stone
    • Mark Ruffalo
    • Willem Dafoe
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    343K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    192
    20
    • Director
      • Yorgos Lanthimos
    • Writers
      • Tony McNamara
      • Alasdair Gray
    • Stars
      • Emma Stone
      • Mark Ruffalo
      • Willem Dafoe
    • 1.6KUser reviews
    • 364Critic reviews
    • 88Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 123 wins & 425 nominations total

    Videos23

    Extended Look Trailer
    Trailer 1:05
    Extended Look Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:23
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:23
    Official Trailer
    Official Teaser
    Trailer 0:35
    Official Teaser
    Poor Things
    Trailer 1:04
    Poor Things
    Poor Things
    Trailer 1:23
    Poor Things
    Poor Things
    Trailer 0:35
    Poor Things

    Photos900

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    Top cast57

    Edit
    Emma Stone
    Emma Stone
    • Bella Baxter
    Mark Ruffalo
    Mark Ruffalo
    • Duncan Wedderburn
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • Godwin Baxter
    Ramy Youssef
    Ramy Youssef
    • Max McCandles
    Vicki Pepperdine
    Vicki Pepperdine
    • Mrs. Prim
    Jack Barton
    Jack Barton
    • Fop 1
    Charlie Hiscock
    Charlie Hiscock
    • Fop 2
    Attila Dobai
    Attila Dobai
    • Hapless Student
    Emma Hindle
    Emma Hindle
    • Woman with Kid in London Street
    Anders Olof Grundberg
    Anders Olof Grundberg
    • Kid in London Street
    • (as Anders Grundberg)
    Attila Kecskeméthy
    • Burly Guy
    Jucimar Barbosa
    • Lisbon Doorman
    Carminho
    • Fado Singing Woman
    Angela Paula Stander
    • Arguing Woman
    Gustavo Gomes
    • Arguing Man
    Kate Handford
    Kate Handford
    • Kitty
    Owen Good
    Owen Good
    • Gerald
    Zen Joshua Poisson
    Zen Joshua Poisson
    • Lisbon Crying Baby
    • Director
      • Yorgos Lanthimos
    • Writers
      • Tony McNamara
      • Alasdair Gray
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.6K

    7.8342.5K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Poor Things' is visually striking with standout performances by Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. It delves into feminism, liberation, and societal norms through a surreal lens. Critics laud its unique cinematography and bold storytelling but note uneven pacing and character depth. The film's sexual content and portrayal of Bella have sparked controversy, making it a thought-provoking yet divisive experience.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    8aremkay-10998

    An alternate universe

    During the first half hour of the movie, I was ready to give up on it and find something else to watch. But gradually I got into it -- or it got into me.

    Poor Things is an alternate universe, and the ordinary rules of the world we live in don't apply. For instance, you can't just take a brain out of a baby's skull and insert it into an adult's, but you can in this movie.

    The characters in this movie couldn't exist in the real world, but that's not the point. The world of the characters is like that in Alice in Wonderland, and like Lewis Caroll's tale, the movie ridicules human pretensions.

    In the end, I enjoyed the movie very much, and I think watching it is worthwhile use of time.
    8nickevangelopoulos

    Odd, very interesting, uncomfortable to some, misunderstood by many

    This is a very unusual movie. I enjoyed watching it, even though it felt awkward at times (as promised by the creators and many reviewers). In my opinion, many users who gave it a 1/10, missed the point. For sure, it is a movie for very mature and sophisticated audiences. It contains a lot of ugly truths about the world, so don't watch it if those bother you. (Don't watch it with teenagers, either, wait until they are 20 or 21.) I appreciated the creative direction, cinematography, and Emma Stone's acting talent. The plot covers multiple aspects of privilege and abuse in thought-provoking ways. On a very high level, you could say that it has some similarities to Barbie, but a very different approach. It is almost the anti-Barbie. The contrast between these two 2023 movies is definitely worth a class discussion in some graduate course of film criticism.
    8Skipfishh

    Cinematographically beautiful and conceptually complex

    This isn't an easy film to watch and capture everything it tries to convey, on the contrary, it's quite complex.

    I'm not a deep connoisseur of Freud, on the contrary, I studied some of his texts when I went to journalism school, but I remember very little, I'm actually unfamiliar with the subject, but clearly "Poor Things" seems to me to work with some points of psychosexual development human developed by Freud.

    I may be talking nonsense, but it seems to me that the sexual phases of children described by Freud (oral, anal, genital, etc.) are shown in Bella's development during the projection, as well as her total independence and freedom in relation to the world and in the passage of each of those phases, without being repressed, allowing her to reach the superego.

    While working with complex concepts of the development of the human psyche, the film also flirts wonderfully with the frustrations of love, and social, political and human issues, and I honestly couldn't capture everything the work was offering me, a lot of details must have escaped my attention.

    So much content, so much complexity, inserted in a spectacular, wonderful cinematography, with exuberant sets, elaborated down to the smallest details, with perfect use of vivid colors and black and white, actors shining on the screen, all of them without exception, incredible direction, and a soundtrack very strange that fits like a glove.

    I rate it 8 out of 10 because my ignorance really didn't allow me to capture everything that was being offered to me, and at some moments I felt a little tired from demanding so much of my brain, but it's a great film in all aspects. It's just not for everyone, as it's not what you would call popcorn entertainment cinema, on the contrary, it's the opposite, and perhaps the trailer could mislead certain types of audiences.
    9shavwp

    Absolutely wild!

    I loved this movie from start to finish. Went into it having zero clue what it was about, and only knew Emma Stone was in it. 2 mins in I leaned over to my partner and said "this movie is absolutely bonkers, and I love it!"

    What kind of genius is that! All of the acting was on point, the cinematography was A++ the costumes and sets/scenes/CGI, I actually just can't fault it. I laughed so loud, so many times, and I shed a few tears too.

    Very poignant, and poetic, with fantastic "morals of the story" I took away a lot, it had beautiful messages of self growth and discovery. Had the good, the bad and the ugly, all mixed into a weird lil soup.

    Best movie I have seen in a very long time. Big fan.
    8jordylukeb

    The film that I wanted Barbie to be.

    It is hard not to make a comparison between Poor Things and Barbie due to both being released within six months of each other and both dealing with Cartesian themes.

    What Barbie lacked with its exploration of existentialism, Lanthimos gifts us with an abundance. At times, it seems we are presented with a nonsensical tale, but we view the world through the eyes of Stone's character, Bella, while she makes sense of what it means to be human.

    It is a feminist tale committed to science fantasy that keeps us engaged through its comedy, incredible sets and fabulous costumes.

    If you think you love Lanthimos, therefore, you will!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Willem Dafoe described the makeup process, "Four hours in, two hours out every day - I'm showing up at three o'clock in the morning, sitting in the chair, meditating and trying to deal with standing still. You can't sleep because it's intricate enough that you've got to work with the people applying it. It's a grind, but I liked working with a mask in there - quite literally, a mask."
    • Goofs
      Mark Ruffalo's attempt at a British accent is extremely unconvincing.

      However, an unconvincing accent is simply a limitation of the actor's ability and not a mistake on the part of the filmmakers. Also, what is considered unconvincing is a subjective matter of opinion.
    • Quotes

      Bella Baxter: [on the wailing infant] I must go punch that baby.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening and closing credits are shown as a frame around the image.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK's BBFC viewed the film during editing to provide advice on classification, and informed the distributor it required changes to one short sequence to secure an "18" rating. The scene depicted sexual activity in the presence of children. Under UK law, this could be illegal and therefore required removal before being distributed within the country. The changes were made before formal classification, and this same version of the film was ultimately released everywhere.
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Movies of 2023 (2023)
    • Soundtracks
      Les Yeux Bleus
      Written by Étienne Arnaud

      Libretto by Eugène De Lonlay

      Performed by Suzy Bemba

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    FAQ19

    • How long is Poor Things?Powered by Alexa
    • Why would a baby's mind progress at an accelerated pace as a result of being transplanted into an adult body?
    • Does this film condone pedophilia and child rape?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2023 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Ireland
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Hungary
    • Official site
      • Official Site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Portuguese
    • Also known as
      • Pobres criaturas
    • Filming locations
      • Origo Film Studio, Budapest, Hungary(soundstages)
    • Production companies
      • Element Pictures
      • Film4
      • Fruit Tree
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $35,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $34,553,225
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $661,230
      • Dec 10, 2023
    • Gross worldwide
      • $117,625,455
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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