Described as a Victorian tale of discovery, scientific daring and love, Poor Things is set to satirically jab at archaic gender roles and social norms, interrogating these notions throughout the film. This is particularly emphasised via the official synopsis of the film, which tells how “Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.”
Bella Baxter, the central character played by Emma Stone, is a dead woman reanimated by an unorthodox scientist named Dr Godwin Baxter, played by Willem Dafoe. Dafoe is said to have prepared for the film by going to an actual mortician school, carrying on the wonderful trend of him playing weird characters! With additional characters played by Mark Ruffalo, Margaret Qualley, Jerrod Carmichael and others, Poor Things is set to be a whimsical self-discovery of what it means to be a woman.
Auteur Yorgos Lanthimos is known for making his audiences uncomfortable, whether that be through his horror-thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer or weird drama-romance The Lobster. Poor Things promises this same whacky experience found in Lanthimos’ other films.
A plethora of human pleasures are depicted in the trailer, from Bella’s discovery of sex to her more unconventional and visceral desire to punch a screaming baby - all of these moments underpinned with a bitingly dry humour.
The trailer also also shows the film's intensely vibrant sci-fi world, showing how, just like Bella, the audience is supposed to discover the odd world for themselves. Poor Things is already receiving critical acclaim after its rounds at various festivals, and from the trailer, it seems that this is deservedly so for what promises to be a fantastical film.