Poor Things

Little rant with some minor spoilers: Poor Things certainly did not disappoint, but immediately after watching it I felt a bit divided. My instincts were leaning in a positive direction, but I wanted to see what others felt because if there's anything I know about Lanthimos's films (despite only seeing this one) is that they aren't for everyone. Some of the reviews are glowing others are not. I can definitely understand not enjoying the weird vibe of the film, maybe Emma Stone's character, Bella, etc. However, the negative reviews mostly hate it for pandering to the male sexual fantasy or not depicting sex in a realistic fashion. The film doesn't pander in any way, but the negaive sexual aspects are present but they're intentional. Mark Ruffalo's character, Duncan, is goofy, disgusting, and a dick which is the entire point. He objectifies Bella and uses her to satisfy his sexual needs. Bella initially goes with him because she doesn't know any better and he lures her in with her longing for adventure. He's a bad character and he does bad things - an antagonist. It's very surprising and kind of infuriating to me that anyone can watch Poor Things and come away with the belief that Yorgos promotes the objectification of women. You can have a despicable character in your movie without supporting their views and methods. While reviews like that tend to make me angry, they did help me form my thoughts of the movie. Poor Things is fantastic. Emma Stone gives her greatest performance. Mark Ruffalo might have given his career best, too. I love the surreal feel of the movie. I thought it was going to go a bit too far and wouldn't work considering they travel to "real locations", but everything is so otherworldly and vibrant that they don't feel like places that exist. The film is gorgeous and has some of the most unique cinematography I've seen a long time. Some of the shots genuinely feel like a dream. I'm not going to go into much detail about the themes of the movie due to my rant and additional spoilers, but they were executed very well. I hope I get a chance to see this in theatres and I already want to watch it again. One of the best films of 2023.