User reviews

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.

Clearly a lot of people enjoyed this grotesque movie, but it wasn't for me. Some of the scenes in it made me feel sick, and maybe they were supposed to, but it seemed unnecessary. Don't even get me started on how pretentious the movie was.

I also found this movie very frustrating because the acting was good, the sets and costuming were good, and some scenes used striking cinematography. These things all made me feel like I should've liked the movie, but I don't. It could have been put to much better use.

The sex and nudity is beyond gratuitous. I'm usually not bothered by sex scenes in movies, but for this particular film it felt perverted. Maybe the director has a weird fetish.

Ultimately, this film made me want to crack my own head open and pour bleach over my brain. It's one of those movies I'd like to block out. I don't think I'll ever watch anything else by Lanthimos.

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.

I usually like quirky original movies, and there are a lot of individual elements that are great in this film such as the character's, acting, and world, but at its core this film has little to say and is deeply disturbing.

The core premises of this film without giving too much away is that a child's mind resides in a woman's body. The child is maybe 1-2 years old but no older than 5 and the plot is how much this kid has sex with other adult men.

I felt deeply uncomfortable thinking about a toddler discovering sexual organs and having wild sex and masturbating constantly and publicly because they don't know any better. Some people may say "that's not the point of the film" but it's a purposeful and prominent aspect that gets heavy emphasis throughout the entire run-time.

It feel like the writer wanted to tell the cliched story of the naïvety of a child but also wanted to tell a story about how promiscuous women upset insecure men and I think it's wildly inappropriate or just a bad idea in general to mix those two stories together. Wouldn't you think so?

Which is too bad because I liked everything else surrounding the premise. The cast was perfectly cast and Mark Ruffalo's terrible English accent, although distracting, was very fitting for his phoney shallow character and Gondi loved every second of him on screen. The world was rich and realized, every shot was interesting and the music was fantastic, I just wish it didn't all hinge on such a creepy "what if a kid had a lot of sex".

Not to mention there was a scene where two literal children watched a man and woman have sex. It was played for laughs and it was funny on its own as a concept because it's so absurd, but it made me wonder why twice now we're focusing on underaged people witnessing or engaging in sex acts.

I can see people being upset and getting defensive because if they liked the film maybe I'm saying they're a bad person or something, I'm not saying that. If you think all these aspects are fine then by all means enjoy the film, but I think it's fair to be critical on something like this and think about why some decisions were made when making this film. Like I said, there is a lot to love and if the premise doesn't bother you then you will love this movie.

I'm not a prude, have as much sex with whoever you want or however you want it, just maybe keep the theme of kids away from it.

Yorgos Lanthimos once again presents us with an excerpt from a distorted fantasy world, which, however, has more parallels with ours than one would initially expect. The story is focused on Bella, who was brought back to life after death by a peculiar scientist, after which she learns about the world with the brain of a child and gradually develops in all directions, even those that could be described as taboo. Emma Stone gives a masterful acting performance and her character adds more and more layers as the minutes of the film go by until the triumphant finale.

Transforming from Bella the toddler into a socially conscious woman, she surpasses all her previous roles. Whether it's her walk, thoughts, facial expressions, or body games, she leaves us in no doubt as to what mental stage she's currently in, and with Mark Ruffalo seconding her, there's no shortage of bizarre moments.

Intelligent dialogues, thoughtful concept, topical theme, visually intoxicating images, captivating performances, devilishly morbid ideas, lots of nudity, art film, Oscar nominations are inevitable.

This film is a reminder that ratings are actually almost entirely subjective, and that no matter how acclaimed or highly rated it is, you can be disappointed. In fact, the more you pin your expectation based on amazing ratings, the more likely you are to be disappointed. So my mistake on that part.

WAY too many unnecessarily explicit and long sex scenes.

Slow moving.

All the more interesting things happen in the plot at the very end.

Bella's 'discoveries' of aspects of the world are deep and meaningful, especially her discovery of inequality and indifference of humanity to others' suffering.

Funny and quirky with an interesting plot, but I just really don't agree with the +8/10 rating.

Everything from the script to cinematography to music. The beautiful story told about how we are stolen from our innocence by the world of perversion. So confusing to me that anyone dislike the film or misconstrue it for being crass or over the top. The story it tells is absolutely beautiful. The fact that people don't like it on the account of it being "creepy" and "groomy" is exactly what the movie is calling out- ironic!

The unsettling music that plays throughout and the way the film coloration moves as she matures and develops her vocabulary and motor skills is subtle but very apparent in other ways.

Incredible film- what a fantastic director.

Check out another great from him Calle DogTooth.

I'm a fan of Lanthimos but this film was ironically the "poorest" of his among those i've watched. I thought of the idea and the style to be very interesting from the trailers and inevitably i was very excited to see this film in the theater after a long wait (thanks to the great marketing efforts). Yet, i was very disappointed to find myself disliking it throughout the viewing.

I don't have much to say about the production design and cinematography other than I found those parts of the film mesmerizing and unique, as expected. What I didn't expect was the writing and storytelling to be so cheap and at some points annoying. I understand that there is an intent to create wittiness and absurdness to give a light tone to the movie but it really felt forced and predictable to me most of the time. Honestly, i didn't laugh more than 2 or 3 scenes in the movie and they weren't even that memorable.

I also found Bella's character development rushed and out of nowhere at the ending bits of the film. I really don't want to get into the other characters because non of them i found to be interesting nor well written sadly. Also, the topics this film takes on and the themes it tries to delve into were stayed on the surface in my opinion. About what it is like to become an adult from a child's perspective, about choices of women and how they are treated in the society, about the poor and the rich, about being a human in the modern world, and many more.

Moreover, I would've loved delving deeper into the sensitive sides of Bella and her connection with her mother. Maybe we could've seen some parts of what ignited and caused her mother's suicide rather than seeing a maniac ex-husband holding a gun all the time and then we say "Aha! It makes sense now about her mother jumping from the bridge". Maybe it could've been a cliche but i think i would've rather seeing Bella to realize who she was at the end of the movie rather than in the beginning, just for the sake of witnessing her realization and reaction when she grew up as her surgery would be kept as a secret from her would be more emotional in my opinion.

Sorry for this long review but there were many thoughts i wanted to let it out. Maybe among the points i made, some were a glimpse of positive things, but sadly and mostly it was more about the poor things...

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!

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.

Where to begin with this one....

First off, the performances presented here are top of their class. Absolutely phenomenal! In a film with characters as strange as these, you need a strong cast and every player here was up to the task and more! Just brilliant!

Secondly, the story is insane. I mean padded room, straight jacket type of insane. When reading the synopsis, I was thinking about how wild of a concept it was and did not think they could pull off such an audacious plot. However, Yorgos and company had a specific vision for this film and it shows in the amount of detail in both the screenplay and the visionary artistic decisions. I can say, they completely nailed it!

Thirdly, exploring the human condition through sexuality, in all emotional forms, has been done before. Though, never quite like this. It was refreshing to see it through the eyes of someone reborn and ready for everything life had to throw her, as opposed to the usual timid youthful eyes.

Lastly, the cinematography is wonderfully done. Mixing between black and white to full color, with wild scenery and beautifully detailed architecture. Sometimes the film felt like a dream captured within a painting. It was quite beautiful.

Overall, I would highly recommend it. I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea. It is very artsy, very sexually uncomfortable, and very strange. However, if you enjoy great storytelling and truly original visions on film, better see this on the big screen.

4.5 surgerys out of 5.

1) The misandry is strong in this one. Not surprising though, seems that this is the Holywood way from now on : Every man is dumb or pathetic or disgusting or criminal or childish. Condemning toxic masculinity is one thing. Condemning masculinity in its entirety, is another.

2) Seems also that in order to achieve Enlightment, you have to be a sex worker. It's so obvious i wonder why noone thought about this in the entire Human History. I guess Lanthimos is a pioneer. A Marco Polo of Wisdom. It made me so uncomfortable watching Stone's character dealing with this disgusting debauchery (I mean the "Paris" segment). But i guess it's a sign of toxic masculinity if you don't like watching a woman get humiliated. Lanthimos is beloved in Holywood because obviously he preaches Women empowerment. I didn't know that Humiliation/Depression = Empowerment. Happy to find out.

3) Sarcasm aside, this could ve a very good movie. I am a man but i would gladly watch a movie showing a woman's path to Self Actualization. Until the PARIS segment, i thought that this movie is something like that. And i was enjoying it. A very good dark fairy tale/comedy drama fantasy. Not just funny but even hilarious at times. German Expressionism meets Terry Gilliam or something like that. A visually stunning movie with GREAT acting. Stone was magnificent but the other actors were amazing too (Dafoe, Ruffalo, Carmichael etc). Not a brilliant movie but a clever one. I wish that Jerrod Carmichael had more screen time, his character was very interesting. But i don't wanna nitpick it, it was a good movie overall. Even with the misandry element.

However, the PARIS segment ruined this movie. Literally, one of the most unnecessary parts of all time. Meaningless, empty, vulgar. Even misogynistic i'd say.

And, of course, the ending. A ridiculously simplistic and naive ending for all brain dead people to enjoy.

This film is an unconventional masterpiece.

A tale of fantasy perfectly executed in every aspect.

I would also call it an avant guard movie. As such,I suspect that half or more of the viewers will hate it.

It is fresh,a black and white and colour feast of the eyes and at the same time a bit shocking. It is worth every minute of its 2h21 minutes running time.

Words are poor things to describe this film. It would be better to start watching and form your own opinion.

If I could,I would give it more than 10 for directing masterful, acting sublime, style,sets and colour fantastic, script not one word wasted.

So I'm sure that people might be judging people who are giving this movie low scores for being prudes, or those who are predisposed to under appreciate artistic movies. This is absolutely not true. I adore strange and artistic films, but this one just seem gratuitously repulsive. I really like something with more of a plot or profound plots and a movie that does not rely solely on nudity or sex, or the abuse of the female body. It was very difficult to watch the scenes. The only reason I graciously gave this movie or four was because Mark Ruffalo. He was absolutely fantastic in this movie, but beyond that, I really didn't see any stand out actors. Emma always does a good job. It won awards for being original, because what other movie would actually be like this? None. What other movies would have constant nonstop sex and nudity? None. I guess people are hungry for this vacuous type of plot, but I just personally did not like it as a woman. Yes, the cinematography was great, yes, the acting by the main characters was amazing. But that's where it ends. I am still, however, trying to trudge to the end of it. We need more movies like this move these like pans labyrinth that are aesthetically, beautiful and where the plot is very different or even oriented around science, fiction or fantasy, but this one fell short. The movie did get better near the end, so I upped the score to 6.

If you have a low IQ score please don't watch this movie because you will be disappointed. Ingenious way of presenting women versus men and the role of fatherhood. All issues of our modern family, couples, sex and money world depicted in this master of art. From Emma Stone at her best role ever, to Ruffalo's exquisite performance and Dafoe's next Oscar, omg! Recital of directing, amazing cinematography and costume design, to sound editing and graphic design. This must unquestionably be the winner for best film this year at the Oscars. Run to watch it and be prepared to be baptized again into films with meaning like no other. Lanthimo's best film so far!

Despite its modest budget, the dedication of the cast and crew behind the film is praiseworthy. However, the film struggles to deliver a cohesive experience. In an effort to break the mold in every possible way, it unfortunately misses the mark.

There is much to say but, for example, the use of unique wide-angle lenses gives the film a distinct visual style that's hard to ignore. Yet, the constant, almost futuristic, camera movements are obviously distracting and ruin the overall effect. A balance between innovative and traditional techniques could have provided a steadier and more impactful visual narrative.

Opting for an exaggerated color palette begs the question: why then dedicate a fifth of the film to black and white? Furthermore, if this stylistic choice was intentional, the rationale behind it was not sufficiently communicated to the audience, leaving them puzzled over the decision.

The film's approach to depicting nudity, intended to symbolise the Bella's journey, ends up feeling excessive and unnecessary in many scenes. A more nuanced and restrained portrayal could have conveyed the same message with greater dignity and impact.

Echoing sentiments found in several other reviews, this story is deeply rooted in women's experiences and carries a potent feminist message. Yet, the film's execution seems distinctly male-oriented, with every creative decision reflecting a perspective that may not fully align with the story's core essence.

Although the story at the heart of the film is genuinely compelling and the acting is admirable, the way it's told detracts from its potential impact. The ambition to stand out in every aspect resulted in a fragmented presentation, diluting the emotional connection and leaving a sense of disjointedness. Ultimately, the film feels like a series of bold experiments that, while individually interesting, fail to come together into a harmonious whole, resulting in a viewing experience that's more bewildering than engaging.

I am a huge fan of The Favourite, The Lobster, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Those movies were thoughtful, clever, and just truly stunning and original. This movie was pointless and boring. It wasn't empowering in the least. It tried. Really, really hard. It wasn't deep, every moment of it was clearly for shock value. Does having a ton of sex with different men make you a liberated woman? Ridiculous and heavy handed. I guess those of us who don't like it don't *get it*...it's art after all! It shouldn't make sense!

The cinematography was gorgeous, I'll give it that. And I was happy to see Ramy Youssef in a big movie because he's fantastic. Mark Ruffalo should never attempt any accents, ever, and I think he's wonderful otherwise. Oof. So bad. Emma is better than this. So so disappointing!

My favorite characters were the animals roaming the property. They should've given more lines to the chicken dog.

Truly a cinematic masterpiece. Entertaining from start to finish, poor things is a story filled with peculiar characters, odd but beautiful sets that remind me of my strange but vivid dreams about places that don't exist. It's hilarious, it's whimsical, it's madness. It's like Wes Anderson and Tim Burton got married and had a baby. It's brilliant.

When watching the movie, I was reminded of the feelings I had when I first watched Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was a liberating feeling, and I found myself smiling after the movie ended.

Friendly reminder to look up the content warnings first as it is rated-R.