When I think of the films of Yorgos Lanthimos, many things come to mind: first and foremost, his deadpan absurdity (Lanthimos is part of a film movement referred to as the Greek Weird Wave), but also recurring themes such as the arbitrariness of social mores, sexuality, heteronormativity, and structures of power and authority. What I associate most strongly with Lanthimos, though, the unease they evoke. Even when they make me laugh, Yorgos Lanthimos’ films are often supremely uncomfortable.
Which is why it comes as something of a surprise that his latest film, Poor Things, which tells the story of an infant whose brain, Frankenstein-style, is implanted into the body of an adult woman and who finds liberation through sexuality, may just be Lanthimos’ most feel-good film.
A Damn Fine Cup of Culture 