Poor Things subtly gave some long-awaited closure to a classic horror monster. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name, Poor Things is a sci-fi, comedy, drama, and horror movie that takes the audience to a steampunk Victorian-era London. Poor Things follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman who is brought back to life by eccentric scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), who also becomes her guardian and mentor.
As Bella isn’t the same person she was before and has to relearn everything all over again, Godwin is very protective of her, but he encourages her engagement with his assistant, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef). However, when Bella meets the wildly indulgent lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), she realizes there’s a lot more to life and escapes with him, going on a journey of self-discovery and pleasure – all types of it. Still, Godwin and Bella’s bond is unbreakable, and through it, Poor Things finally gives much-needed closure to a classic horror monster.
Poor Things Ending Explained
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things puts Emma Stone front and center. Her character, Bella, has quite the journey, and we break down the film’s ending.
Poor Things Finally Gave Frankenstein’s Creature What He Never Got
Although not an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein nor a gender-bent version of it, Poor Things takes a lot of inspiration from it. Bella is a type of “Frankenstein monster” as she was brought to life by a scientist, and she went on a journey to not only learn about the world and people but also about herself. Unlike Frankenstein’s creature, Bella was accepted by society, but the same can’t be said for Godwin, whose students even called him “monster”.
In Shelley’s novel, the Creature struggled to find understanding, compassion, and empathy due to his appearance, with the only person who accepted him being a blind man. However, the man’s son attacked the Creature when he saw him in his house talking to his father, and they fled the next day out of fear that the Creature would return. This was a turning point for the Creature, who, enraged by how he had been treated despite not doing anything bad, gave up hope of ever being accepted by humans. The Creature never got what he wanted from either Victor Frankenstein or other humans, but Godwin Baxter did.
During his final moments, Godwin was accompanied by Bella, and he opened up to her. Godwin said he was never seen as anything more than a monster, but Bella never saw him as such. Thanks to Bella, Godwin got the empathy, love, understanding, and compassion that he never got from other humans, and to make it even better and more special, he got these from a similar “creature”.
Is Godwin Baxter Frankenstein’s Creature In Poor Things?
As mentioned above, Poor Things isn’t an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but Godwin Baxter serves as both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. Godwin’s physical appearance is similar to the Creature’s, and he even mentions a couple of times throughout Poor Things that his father constantly experimented on him. Godwin also represents Victor Frankenstein as both were scientists and brought their “creations” to life, though with very different results: while Victor was terrified and repulsed by what he did, Godwin was proud and fascinated by Bella, though he overprotected her.
Godwin Baxter was a lot more understanding and loving than Victor Frankenstein ever was, so much so that he agreed to let Bella go to explore the world, and in return, Bella kept in touch with him and ran to his side after learning of his terminal illness. Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, ran away and hid from his own creation, who only wanted his creator’s love and approval.
Poor Things
Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos. The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
- Release Date
- September 8, 2023
- Director
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast
- Emma Stone , Willem Dafoe , Mark Ruffalo , Ramy Youssef , Jerrod Carmichael , Christopher Abbott
