There are great movies that you can safely watch with your family. And then there are wonderful, ingenious sci-fi fantasies … that you should never unpack in front of your parents or in-laws
Most of us have already had them, those very special moments. It’s movie night and the whole family, including parents and/or siblings, have gathered in front of the screen. Everything is going wonderfully, we are intoxicated by beautiful images and brilliant stories – and then suddenly everything becomes very, very unpleasant.
Anyone familiar with Yorgos Lanthimos and his bitter, black dramas (such as The Favourite) knows that his films are predestined for such experiences. His latest sci-fi manifesto Poor Things, available now on Disney+, is no exception. The film is visually stunning and rightly deserves its four Oscars. But one of its greatest strengths makes it an absolute anti-family night movie.
Stream Poor Things just two months after its theatrical release on Disney+
Sci-Fi at Disney+: In Poor Things, Emma Stone becomes an adventurous Frankenstein experiment
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When Bella (Emma Stone) sees the light of day in the laboratory of the rather unconventional scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), it’s not the first time. Baxter has revived Bella after her death. A whole new, second life begins for her. For her, this means: many first experiences, a lot to learn, but also cutting the cord from her creator-father-teacher figure Baxter.
Because Bella is not satisfied with the limits that Baxter imposes on her. Bella wants more, wants to see the world. Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) is just what she needs. The lawyer seduces Bella and gives her the opportunity to get to know the whole of Europe. So the two of them run away without further ado. Bella not only embarks on a journey to new places, but also to herself, including a sexual awakening.
(Emma Stone in Poor Things)
As Bella visibly matures mentally, she sees through the world around her, which is rather less benevolent towards women. But Bella wouldn’t be Bella if she let this get her down. Quite the opposite. She begins to work out her own philosophies, provokes and stands on her own two feet. What she doesn’t reckon with is her past life, which one day catches up with her
Sci-Fi tip: Poor Things is a fantastic character study that dares to be uncomfortable at times
JPoor Things has one thing going for it besides breathtaking backdrops and strange worlds: Bella as an increasingly self-determined, constantly evolving main character. She grows through her adventures and relationships and often holds up a mirror to those around her. Of course, this also means that she gets to know herself. And on all levels really.
In a way, Poor Things is a coming-of-age story that is as twisted as it is hopeful. For Bella, especially in a very conservative environment, this also includes her sexual self-determination and experience. Yorgos Lanthimos focuses on this in his bizarre, direct and sometimes unpleasant satirical way and confronts us with questions about autonomy, emancipation and physicality.
(Emma Stone in Poor Things)
Poor Things caused a sensation mainly due to its numerous explicit sex scenes. In a Hollywood film of this size, it is rare for the actors to get naked in front of the camera so often. Lanthimos discusses sex on all levels. It’s about Bella’s lust, but also the question of what her lust and her body mean in the social structure around her.
So Poor Things is only suitable for a solid movie night with the in-laws if you have a really unshakeable relationship with them. But otherwise, this sci-fi fantasy is absolutely worthwhile. Bella’s development is embodied by a fabulous Emma Stone with such emotional, stirring agility that she rightly took home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
If you want to follow Bella’s development into an independent protagonist yourself, you can do so two months after the film’s release with a streaming subscription from Disney+.
