If you've seen any Yorgos Lathimos film, Poor Things is everything you would have expected and hoped for. If you haven't seen any of his films, buckle up. That's all I'll say. Poor Things is a thoroughly outrageous romp. It's trippy, disturbing and brutally funny. You could summarize this film as, essentially, a feminist spin on A Clockwork Orange. Both films/novels explore the concept of freewill in an oppressive society. But while Alex struggles with his repugnant urges for ultra-violence, Bella struggles with her normal primal urges of sexual liberation and independence. What women are expected to do in this dystopian universe, Bella does the opposite, and much to the chagrin of her male caretakers. Despite being created in a laboratory by a mad scientist and saddled with the brain of the infant child she was pregnant with, Bella forms an insatiable appetite for exploring and thriving. Poor Things celebrates hedonism, but in a way that's both honest and humorous. Lathimos finds freewill to be as necessary as the air we breathe, and at times, that challenges so-called "polite society". Consider Bella an avatar for the id. Or, perhaps consider her a pioneer and a rebel. Whatever impression you make out of this, you will be blown away by Bella, who is truly the heart and soul of this entire movie. This is the defining role of Emma Stone's career. She captures a level of vulnerability and aching desire that we haven't seen from any actor in a long time. Poor Things holds nothing back. There's a lot of sex. A lot of awkward, unsexy, sex. Perhaps it's the most realistic sex we've ever seen in a film! The special effects here are some of the strangest and most inspired of Lathimos's entire career. Mark Ruffalo's performance as Duncan is by far the year's best comedic performance. If you're looking for a cinematic spectacle this holiday season, you've found it right here.

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