Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos has cemented his reputation as a director who creates some of the most bizarre mainstream films, often disturbing and dystopian. Poor thing is no different, but it also adds new elements, it’s experimentation primarily driven by the cinematography, rather than the script. The film uses fish eye lens and switching colour gradients / aspect ratios to great effect, unnerving yet compelling the viewer to engage with a twisted Frankenstein escque storyline with a feminist edge. Lanthimos shows a lot of bravery to explore controversial ideas around a character who is new to the world and exploring sexuality and independence for the first time. Emma stone (as always) is outstanding and completely deserves the acclaim awarded for her performance, equally brave and exposing for an actor. Criticisms have been aimed at the excessive levels of sex and nudity, but I think they are central to the plot and main characters journey, in a Yorgus film which is intended to shock and not easily forgotten!