A star studded cast, the ever-deft Yorgos Lanthimos behind the camera, and Alasdair Gray’s wildly inventive 1992 science fantasy novel as its playground; it seems like everything has been looking up for Poor Things for quite some time, development hell notwithstanding.
And while few will chalk up the film’s new release date as a win (it’s set to drop in theaters on Dec. 8 after having previously been scheduled for Sept. 8), that’s merely the exception that proves the rule, as the film has seemingly reached the peak of its many good omens in the form of a perfect Rotten Tomatoes debut.
At the time of writing, Poor Things sits at a whopping 100 percent critic approval rating after 33 reviews, following its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival just days earlier.
The film stars Emma Stone as Bella, a Victorian-era suicide victim who’s brought back to life by a scientist, and who suddenly finds herself free from the restraints and prejudices she faced as a woman. After meeting the sly lawyer Duncan Wedderburn, Bella sets off of a cross-continental odyssey, determined to embrace and champion the world’s newfound state of social and sexual liberation.
Also starring are Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, and Margaret Qualley. Lanthimos directs a script from Tony McNamara, based on Gray’s book of the same name.
Poor Things drops into theaters on Dec. 8, meaning we won’t have to wait long after its release to start hearing Stone’s name get uttered for various Best Actress nominations.