It's been just about 2 years since Poor Things came out. I haven't felt the need to watch it since it came out, due to all of the discourse surrounding the film and it's sexual content. I sort of forgot about it until I started seeing clips of it on TikTok. I wanted to understand the film and why it garners such a visceral reaction among some viewers. Better to form an opinion of your own without someone telling you how to film, eh?
So, I have been meaning to watch it. I couldn't watch it on Amazon Prime without renting, so I knew I had to sit in the living room to look where it's streaming for free. However, I did not feel like watching Poor Things in the living room, on the big t.v., for everyone to walk in and see! It wasn't until I noticed the film streaming for free on Tubi that I decided to finally watch it!
I think the film would be easier to understand if you watched it through an erotic, gothic-influenced lens. I think it's a disservice to the film to not mention how pornographic it is. Why not call a spade a spade? If it's sexual content was not brought to the forefront, would that cheapen or de-intellectualize the film? "This film is high brow art, don't you know"!? Whatever. It's fancy porn, who cares. I found it easier to watch the film after suspending certain logic, similar to the way I watched Nosferatu (2024). At least Nosferatu was honest about it erotic elements.
It's a visually stunning film that starts to fall flat towards the end. I took notice of the setting less and less throughout the film. I guess that symbolizes Bella Baxter's rose-colored glasses and infantile curiosity wearing off. I'm not the hugest fan of the digital effects the film uses, such as Godwin Baxter's post-dinner burps. I feel like we've progressed so far in the digital effects area, I don't know why so many movies look juvenile compared to older films.
I would say the costumes were lovely, but I would mostly be commenting on Bella's wardrobe. I was a fan of her rubber latex coat and princess sleeves. I also loved Bella's long black hair and black brows, it was very striking on Emma Stone. I enjoyed listening to the score as well. The score that plays in the beginning, when Bella has just been "born", sounds like some weird, twisted fucked up nursery music. The film did make me chuckle. Mark Ruffalo's character was very funny, as well as nasty. I marveled at his girdle. The dialogue was very blunt, they were saying some crazy shit with a straight face.
Now, let's talk about the plot. The film is about Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a pregnant woman once known as Victoria Blessington, who committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Godwin Baxter (Willam Dafoe), a mad scientist that has severe morality issues due to a shitty childhood (But you don't see me reanimating corpses about it!), decides to take Victoria's body and reanimate it. But here's the rub; Godwin takes Victoria's baby (I can't remember if the baby was alive or not) out of her corpse, takes the brain out of the baby, and puts the brain in the skull of a deceased Victoria. When thinking about today's society, it sounds pretty fucked up, right? But we're not existing in today's world, it's a fantastical 1882 in London!
This is where we have to suspend our natural beliefs. We are entering a world of medical malpractice and moral incompetence. This film is based on the 1992 novel Poor Things, which was heavily influenced by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the notorious Gothic novel who garnered fans of goths and horror enthusiasts alike! And, let's not forget that Mary Shelley lost her virginity to her future husband on top of her mother's grave. lol.
Now, I know. I know!! Bella Baxter has the brain of her infant inside her. That's fucking gross. So, you know what I'm gonna do? Ignore that. Once that brain left the baby's body, and was placed into Victoria's skull, that brain became Bella Baxter's. So, it's easier to think of Bella as a woman who was "born sexy yesterday". I'm sure you've all seen that YouTube video by now, but if you haven't, you must watch it. Bella has the body of a beautiful young woman and the mind of a little baby. How subversive...
It's easier to gloss over this trope when you're watching The Fifth Element. If I'm being honest... no it is not. It's quite obviously in your face as she's being reanimated in that tube. Leeloo speaks in a frightened, high-pitched baby voice and is unaware of her own beauty. She undresses in front of people, because she's just so unaware. But she combats that with her badass fighting skills, which only takes her so far, because what she truly needs is love. Shut that FACK uppppp!!!
But when you observe Bella's mannerisms, it's truly that of a toddler's. She waddles with her feet wide apart, arms weighing outwards for balance. She speaks in short words and exhibits unabashed facial expressions. She throws temper tantrums and hits people with her adult strength. She rides a bike around the house and blows bubbles. When Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) is introduced to Bella, she pisses on herself, delightfully exclaiming, "WEE!".
Don't worry! Bella learns very fast. Her brain develops faster than a real baby's. It won't be long until she grows up into a smart, dignified young lady. So in the meantime, Bella is betrothed to Max McCandles. who would take very good care of her and not take advantage of her innocence at all! Max objects at first, asking if Bella was supposed to be Godwin's mistress. But oh no! What an absurd, yet honest question. Godwin has no genitals, so he cannot fuck her! His paternal instincts outweigh his sexual ones. I liken Godwin's feelings towards Bella similar to those of a dog owner. She is his "experiment" after all. Simultaneously, Bella has discovered masturbation and she needs to bust a nut at all times. You might have noticed the usage of hard, blunt language being used in this review. I'm only mimicking the language being used in the film. It's very explicit and frank.
This will hurt your head if you think about it too much! Bella, lobotomized baby Bella, is being given to one man from another. They just want the best for her!! Because she cannot think for herself!! She needs to be taken care of!! So, Godwin contractually gives Bella to Max, in the condition that he lives with both Bella and Godwin. This is when Godwin summons the lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo).
"Curious contract..." Marvels Duncan Wedderburn. "Must be quite a woman to warrant such binding." Says the sleazeball. Duncan excuses himself to the "bathroom", only to find Bella blowing bubbles in her wardrobe. He is entranced by her beauty, as well as her stunted mind. Bella becomes infatuated with Duncan because he pinches her clitoris. After this interaction, Duncan decides to woe Bella out of her "prison" (The one in which she's treated like an object/child and is shamed for jacking off).
Bella comes to Godwin with her plan; She will marry Max McCandles, but only after she fucks around the world with Duncan Wedderburn. It seems reasonable, right? Bella must live her life (Having loads of sex with Duncan) before ultimately being tied down to Max (The safer, more stable option). Bella even notes that she will not be in good hands while traveling with Duncan. But it's her choice and shes extremely self-aware! Godwin agrees and lets her take off with Duncan. This is where the movie, who's erotic tones were building up, turns into a nicely lit, raunchy porno.
This "relationship" rubs me the wrong way. It's obviously playing out a very male-centered fantasy. "Pervert creep takes advantage of infant-brained but gorgeous, sheltered woman". I must admit, I did not enjoy seeing Emma Stone get "fucked" by Mark Ruffalo, even though it's fake. Of course, Emma Stone is the sole owner of her body, so she can do whatever she wants (Mark too). In fact, Emma Stone is no stranger to raunchy comedies. But it did make me feel uncomfortable with how the scenes were played out. It's very pornographic, for lack of a better word. I did not find it funny or liberating in any way. It's not subversive, it's not impressive. Maybe one can interpret this relationship as commentary on how men like woman dumb and subservient, so that they can be easier to control and fuck... No shit.
Bella quickly finds out that there's more to the world than just pleasure. Her experiences begin to mold her into a more multi-faceted person. She begins to... think. And not only just think, but to think for herself! This obviously triggers Duncan, as he only wanted Bella to remain a childish, awestruck blow-up doll. Boo! We hate Duncan! Do you understand this viewer? Is it plain enough for you to see? How could Bella make her own choice to be with a pervert weirdo over sweet innocent Max? Max is such a cuck! But fuck Duncan for being a nasty hedonist!
But Bella had to sleep with him. It's part of her character development. She had to find out for herself, in order to grow as a person. And because of this, Bella decides to donate Duncan's gambling winnings to the poor. But, the money doesn't go to the poor, it gets taken by two cruise ship workers instead. Bella and Duncan get kicked off the cruise ship they were on. Duncan is mad at Bella and calls her a "Selfish, thoughtless, careless bitch". But she's not, you see. She gave the money to the poor.
Bella marvels at their predicament. She comments that they are now poor. This has become a new adventure for her. I guess this satisfies her because now she gets to experience how poor people live and feel. This is all voluntary by the way, as Godwin hid a bunch of money in Bella's suitcase. And she knows this. This is where the film's commentary becomes shallow. Bella decides to wander around Paris to find a room, as well as some money to book a room. Maybe she'll get a little job flipping crepes or whatever the fuck. But no, she comes across a brothel and sells her body, in which she uses the money to buy eclairs.
I do not shame sex workers. I do have different opinions about sex workers who have more privilege than other sex workers. Some sex workers do not have any other options, and not all sex workers are victims. However, because we live in a patriarchal, rape-culture riddled society, I cannot fully support prostitution. I do not see it as liberating, but that's just my opinion. My opinion is mostly influenced by my previous statement about the patriarchy. Again, I do not look down on sex workers, I just want these people to be safe.
In the book, Bella leaves Duncan Wedderburn because he views her as a possession. She goes back home to advocate for women's rights, as well as social reform and public health. In the film, Bella leaves Duncan because he shames her for selling her body and calls her a "cunt". "We should definitely never marry. I am a flawed, experimenting person and I will need a husband with a more forgiving disposition." After this, Bella pulls out the money Godwin gave her so Duncan can get a room. He takes all of her money, so she decides to work at the brother because, in her own words, "I need sex and money."
Bella balances her options. She could find another man, another Duncan as she puts it, but that would take up all of her time to study and make the world a better place. She reasons that her work-life balance would be more manageable as a prostitute. This doesn't make sense to me, because the story takes place in a fantastical late-Victorian world, in which reanimation and cotton candy colored skies exist. Surely, we could've done away with the whole "husband owning wife" and "women can't work" bullshit. Are there not any other jobs for women? Does Bella crave sex that bad, lmao!! There's obviously nothing wrong with a woman wanting tons of sex, but Bella isn't a real woman. She's a character in a film. She's not real.
This film wants to be smart so bad. The commentary on feminism is so surface level and shallow. The concept of brothels and prostitution is obviously too complex for the film to really provide some decent commentary on. Bella becomes a prostitute as an experiment. She really didn't have to! There's nothing revolutionary about this privileged white woman becoming a sex worker. When Bella begins her sex work, she has qualms about fucking ugly, smelly dudes. Her mistress tells her she has no choice. Bella basically does whatever is required of her, which means another pornographic montage.
Since we are relying on "historical accuracy", taking note of how women are treated during 1882, where is the violence? Where are the child workers? Where are the diseases? The movie loves to ignore certain things in order for the movie to be what it is, which is just porn. This is the point where I can't suspend my beliefs, like how I did with Nosferatu. Bella has sex with a father in front of his children. If there is some kind of meaning behind that whole interaction, I don't understand it. Call me too woke or whatever, but what am I supposed to do with that?
Bella starts learning about socialism, since she wants the world to become a better place. She also begins another relationship with fellow sex worker Toinette, who introduced her to socialism. Godwin becomes terminally ill. Bella goes back home to him, finds out she was an experiment, asks Max to marry her (Because she's ready to settle down), forgives Godwin for making her, gets ready to marry Max, but then gets stopped by Victoria Blessington's actual husband. Bella goes back with Victoria's husband to learn about her previous life, which was abusive. No wonder she committed suicide! The husband plans to cut her clitoris off and impregnate her, but Bella throws chloroform in his face and switches his brain with a goat's.
In the end, Godwin dies. Bella decides to become a surgeon. I assume she's inheriting Godwin's occupation. I guess that's how she's going to change the world. Idk. It's never shown whether or not Bella marries Max, but Toinette is there. Polyamorous? The film ends with Bella drinking a glass of gin while studying for her exam, a triumphant score blaring in the background to show just how much Bella has grown. Bella smiles.
Did I enjoy the film? Other than having a couple of chuckles, not really. Would I watch it again? Not unless I was watching it with someone else to verify my critiques. I just feel... meh. I don't really care for the film. Nothing about the film appeals to me, other than a couple of Bella's clothing items. I don't get anything out of it, besides exasperation. The film is trying to tell me basic things that I, as a 27 year old queer woman, have already known for years. It's not even aesthetically pleasing enough to watch again. It's just porn, which I don't protest, that was made for men. I wasn't turned on, lol. I wasn't into it like I was The Handmaiden (2016).
Poor Things is shallow. It's erotic. Watch it to make your own judgement, or don't watch it at all. I cannot justify that scene with the children at all. I don't get it. I don't care to get it. There's nothing wrong with a sexually liberated woman, it's just bothers me that it's done in such a way, you know? There was nothing subversive about the film, nothing new. I don't care about these stories and I'm tired of these tropes. When am I going to see a woman fuck a dude in the ass with a strap-on? When am I going to see a boss woman CEO make her male subordinate wear a butt plug all day? These questions keep me up at night...
