10 Movies Like Poor Things To Watch After Emma Stone’s Dark Comedy

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things shares many similarities with the classic 1931 science fiction horror film Frankenstein, among a whole host of other movies that feature similar themes, characters, and aesthetics. Based on the 1992 Alasdair Gray novel of the same name, Poor Things centers around a young woman named Bella Baxter who’s brought back to life, thus providing her with a unique opportunity to experience happiness, sadness, and sex in a wild film that is rife with just as much comedy as drama. With Poor Things‘s positive reviews, its Oscars potential also brings about a discussion about other movies like Poor Things.

Although Poor Things is a unique take on the classic Frankenstein tale, plenty of projects ranging from remakes of the Mary Shelley classic to modern classics like Ex Machina and The Lighthouse share similar thematic qualities and aesthetics to the 2023 dramedy. Furthermore, each movie with identical subjects and messaging, like Poor Things, is distinct because of how they present their arguments about the human experience. While Poor Things is a modern feminist masterpiece, its ability to weave in abstract imagery with thought-provoking dialogue also lends itself to sharing similar qualities with other movies that handle similar themes.

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10 Coraline (2009)

The stop-motion dark fantasy’s absurdism lends itself to Poor Things’ absurdist sensibilities.

Based on the 2002 Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, Coraline centers around the titular character’s discovery of a portal to an idealized version of her life, but despite its façade, realizes that it contains sinister implications for the young girl. The stop-motion animated dark fantasy horror film features themes of family, regret, and a desire to break away from the mundane nature of one’s life, and the absurd visuals complete the unique storytelling. However, similar to Poor Things, Coraline also leaves its viewers with a cautionary tale about the dangers associated with pursuing an idealized world, by showing that not everything that glitters is gold.

9 The Lighthouse (2019)

Willem Dafoe’s performances in both movies are the connective tissue between the two.

Writer-director Robert Eggers’s The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller based on two lighthouse keepers struggling to maintain their sanity while preserving a lighthouse in 1890s London. Despite The Lighthouse‘s minimalist approach to storytelling, the powerhouse performances of its leads, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, provide a genuinely tense and contentious study of one’s psychology. While The Lighthouse‘s Thomas Wake and Poor Things‘s Dr. Godwin “God” Baxter are both played by Dafoe, the characters explore vastly different themes pertaining to one’s sanity and even humanity. Nevertheless, Dafoe’s performances in both films serve as the link between them, thus making them feel vaguely similar and even familiar because of his appearances.

8 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Nightmare Before Christmas shares an aesthetic quality with Poor Things.

Henry Selick’s 1993 stop-motion dark fantasy musical film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, centers around Jack Skellington and his desire to bring the wonder and joy of Christmas to the wonderfully dark and macabre world of Halloween Town. Filled with imagery of skeletons, corpses, and dark magic, The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ ability to compel its audience to sympathize with Jack’s plight and, by relation, that of his companions, shares a common theme with Poor Things‘ proclivities for depicting its monstrosities in a more humane light. Combined with its unique brand of Halloween aesthetics, Poor Things‘ visuals are also very similar to the 1993 classic.

7 The Elephant Man (1980)

Themes of humanity are strongly present in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man and Poor Things.

David Lynch’s 1980 biographical drama, The Elephant Man, is based on the real-life events of Joseph Merrick, a heavily disfigured man living in 19th century London who is mistreated because of his appearance, and a Victorian surgeon discovering the kindness, intelligence, and humanity that Merrick possesses. Similar to Bella in Poor Things, The Elephant Man‘s protagonist is the most humane character in the film, despite his monstrous appearance. Furthermore, the visceral reaction that most people have regarding Merrick shares a similarity to the feelings audiences experience regarding the absurd imagery in Poor Things, thus effectively challenging viewers’ expectations regarding their lack of compassion for the unorthodox protagonists.

6 Ex Machina (2014)

Similar themes of humanism are expressed through Ex Machina’s Artificially Intelligent Ava.

Writer-director Alex Garland’s 2014 science fiction psychological thriller Ex Machina utilizes slick cinematography, a droning soundtrack, and memorable performances by its leads to examine not only the possibility of humanity through highly advanced artificial intelligence, but also the ethics regarding humanity’s access to such power. On the surface, Ex Machina and Poor Things‘s female protagonists tie them together, but the deeper connection between both films remains in their exploration of humanity by presenting audiences with terrifyingly inhuman human characters that are meant to compel audiences to reexamine their own humanity, and empathetic non-human characters designed to elicit a more compassionate response from audiences.

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5 Dogtooth (2009)

Dogtooth explores themes of isolation and psychology in Lanthimos’ third film.

Lanthimos’ Dogtooth centers around a controlling father who forces his three adult children to the confines of their own home, thus effectively shielding them from the outside world. Through its absurd imagery, such as human beings replicating the behavior of dogs, Dogtooth‘s exploration of isolation is strongly represented in his later film, Poor Things, in which both movies contain tragic father figures whose eccentricities have an indelible effect on his children. Although Dogtooth ultimately focuses more on the controlling aspects of Father and Poor Things on Bella’s desire for autonomy, they’re connected by their bizarre sense of humor more than anything.

4 Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The childlike protagonist allows for explorations of mature themes in Edward Scissorhands.

Tim Burton’s 1990 fantasy gothic romance film, Edward Scissorhands, centers around the relatively solitary lifestyle of an incomplete artificial man who has scissors for hands, and the chaos that ensues shortly after he is integrated into a quiet, suburban neighborhood. Rife with all the unique sets and heartwarming storytelling apt for a Burton movie, Edward Scissorhands‘s childlike character experiencing strong emotions is mirrored in Poor Things, as Bella possesses a childlike mindset early in the film. Furthermore, both films’ explorations of death, independence, and love through their immature protagonists, offer unique criticisms for audiences to consider and even reassess.

3 Frankenhooker (1990)

Frankenhooker’s blend of comedy, horror, and absurdism perfectly aligns with Poor Things’ approach to storytelling.

As the title would suggest, Frank Henenlotter’s Frankenhooker centers around a young medical student resurrecting his deceased fiancée through the use of compiling various body parts from New York City sex workers in a movie that’s just as funny as it is absurd. Additionally, Frankenhooker‘s examination of the status quo for many sex workers through humor makes it a wholly unique exploration of an oft-disregarded human experience, thus justifying its bizarre premise. Although Frankenhooker and Poor Things are very different movies stylistically, they share a similar comedic quality and affinity for the absurd, thus making them much more alike than one might initially expect.

2 Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein’s theme of humanism through its iconic misunderstood monster is also explored in Poor Things.

Perhaps the most influential film in the fantasy horror genre, 1931’s Frankenstein is based on the 1818 Mary Shelley novel of the same name, and it centers around Dr. Frankenstein’s obsession with reanimating a corpse comprised of different body parts. Through its iconic monster character, Frankenstein observes humanity’s proclivities for violence and hatred toward things it doesn’t understand in a unique examination of human nature. Like Poor Things, Frankenstein‘s gothic imagery and misunderstood protagonist emphasize the hypocrisy that many humans exhibit toward one another in times of crisis. As is the case with the ending of Poor Things, Frankenstein‘s ending perfectly punctuates its themes in an unforgettable way.

1 The Favourite (2018)

Emma Stone and Lanthimos’ first collaboration is also an absurdly dark comedy.

2018’s The Favourite centers around two cousins desperately vying for the attention of an 18th-century British queen, thus becoming her court favorite in the process. With brilliant performances from its three leads, The Favourite marks the first collaboration between Stone and Lanthimos, and it also perfectly displays the absurd sense of humor and style that would later be replicated in Poor Things. Furthermore, like Poor Things, The Favourite‘s use of familial ties and bold displays of hedonism aid significantly in expressing the film’s themes of manipulation and control. Although the execution is different, The Favourite and Poor Things‘s similarities lie in their comedic takes on heavy subjects.