Poor Things: What is Yorgos Lanthimos’ Sci-Fi Comedy About?

Of all the films headed to theaters this upcoming awards season, few have received more pre-release acclaim than Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark sci-fi comedy Poor Things, based on a 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray. It premiered in early September at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the highest prize that can be awarded by the festival jury. The hype transferred into the press with almost entirely positive reviews, resulting in scores of 94 on Metacritic and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Everything is business as usual for Lanthimos, who has been one of cinema’s most exciting voices for over a decade.