Poor Things
A surreal sci-fi comedy tracking a resurrected woman's triumphant awakening. It balances unabashed joy with biting social critique, framing her journey as a vivid, fish-eye-warped voyage from sheltered infancy to fierce, liberated independence.
Poor Things
Poor Things

"She’s nothing like you’ve ever seen."

07 December 2023 Ireland 141 min ⭐ 7.7 (5,315)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott
Comedy Romance Science Fiction
Female Agency and Liberation The Construct of Shame and Society Empiricism vs. Sheltered Ignorance Creation and the Creator
Budget: $35,000,000
Box Office: $117,607,117

Poor Things - Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence.

— Bella Baxter

Context:

Spoken by Bella as she reflects on her travels and the harsh realities she has witnessed outside the safety of Godwin's home.

Meaning:

This beautifully distills Bella's philosophical realization about the human condition. She recognizes that the world is a dichotomy of extreme pleasure and agonizing cruelty, and to live fully, one must acknowledge both.

My father once told me, 'Always carve with compassion.' He was a fucking idiot, but it's not bad advice.

— Dr. Godwin Baxter

Context:

Godwin says this while discussing surgical and scientific philosophy, revealing the dark humor and underlying trauma that defines his character.

Meaning:

This quote highlights Godwin's complex relationship with his abusive father and his own approach to science. It underscores the film's theme of balancing clinical detachment with humanity.

I am a flawed, experimenting person, and I will need a husband with a more forgiving disposition.

— Bella Baxter

Context:

Spoken to Duncan Wedderburn as she rejects his possessive and jealous nature, realizing they are entirely incompatible.

Meaning:

Bella refuses to conform to the Victorian expectation of a pure, submissive wife. She demands a partner who accepts her continuous evolution and autonomy.

I am finding being alive fascinating.

— Bella Baxter

Context:

Bella says this as she ravenously experiences the novelties of the world, from food to music to intimacy.

Meaning:

A pure expression of Bella's joie de vivre. It encapsulates her boundless curiosity and appreciation for existence, untouched by societal cynicism.

Do not care for polite society. It's f***ing boring. Destroys one's soul.

— Duncan Wedderburn

Context:

Duncan uses this line to convince Bella to run away with him, appealing to her innate desire to break free from Godwin's rules.

Meaning:

While Duncan says this to seduce Bella and appear rebellious, it ironically foreshadows how polite society's rules eventually crush him when Bella takes his advice far more literally and fearlessly than he ever could.