orgis Lanthimos’ Poor Things has been one of the top contenders this award season. Having bagged eleven Academy Award nominations, it is all set to win quite a few more. An adaptation of the 1992 novel with the same title by Alasdair Gray, the story has often been viewed as a post-modern revision of the Frankenstein monster. The twist? Replacing the monster with Emma Stones’ role of Bella Baxter, a young girl resurrected from the dead with an infant’s brain. The scientist, in this case, is a man by the name of Godwin Baxter, a surgeon with a monstrous appearance. He is referred to as “God, my father” by Bella.

The film, as a whole, is a social commentary on several subjects of great relevance today including identity, feminism, misogyny, socialism, class and morality. In a sense, it is also a commentary on all that we are forced to reckon with as we are born into this world. Poor Things deals with subjects that society deems indecent to speak about or bring to the light of day. It is highly provocative but with a purpose and escapes being labelled as partial. It is comedic but in an intelligent way. It refuses to take anything seriously, including itself. This, perhaps, is the genius of the tone it takes. It understands the basic post-modern contention, as Bella says, “It is only the way it is until we discover the new way it is and then that is the way it is until we discover the new way it is and so it goes.”

Poor Things deals with subjects that society deems indecent to speak about or bring to the light of day. It is highly provocative but with a purpose and escapes being labelled as partial. It is comedic but in an intelligent way. It refuses to take anything seriously, including itself. This, perhaps, is the genius of the tone it takes.

The storyline takes us along with Bella as she journeys through the world. On her journey, she grapples with understanding many aspects of human life. She is urged by women to pursue her adventure while being despised by many men for her independence. Through this narrative, we are forced to deal with humanity in all its hope and despair. This becomes very relatable as this is essentially what existentialism is about, looking at the world and finding meaning and a way of being. It is a search for what sticks and what one can hold on to in the face of all the terrible things that exist. As the Madam from the brothel tells Bella, “We must experience everything, not just the good - degradation, horror, sadness, this makes us whole, Bella; makes us people of substance.”

As Bella comes across various aspects of humanity such as sexuality, patriarchy, cynicism and realism, she constantly questions the flaws in these and simultaneously recognises how these ideas were born. As she says to a cynic she meets, “I see who you are, just a broken little boy who cannot bear the pain of this world.”

Despite her exposure, or perhaps because of it, Bella takes an optimistic view. In this way, the film might be viewed as a case for hope. She refuses to be bitter on account of the horror of the world and humanity at large, even after experiencing it directly.

In terms of acting, Emma Stone outshines all other by far. The film is brainy and uncomfortable and, like any post-modern work of art, challenges assumptions. Yorgos Lanthimos, the director of the film, who has a penchant for eccentricity, steps out of his usual style in Poor Things. Experimenting with alternating between monotone, vivid colour, different lenses and sound to create what seems to be a vivid and memorable dream. Let me end by quoting from Godwin Baxter, “It’s all very interesting, what is happening.”

The author writes on culture and identity in Pakistan. He can be reached at uneeb.nas@gmail.com