Emma Stone has taken home her second Academy Award for her role as Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos' bizarre fantasy tale, Poor Things. Poor Things is a fantastical tale of empowerment and adventure, with Stone's Bella at its heart. Her character is a whirlwind of contradictions; brought back to life with the brain of an infant in a woman's body, Bella embarks on a journey of self-discovery that is both hilarious and heartrending. Stone navigates these complexities with grace, bringing a sense of depth and humanity to a character that could easily have been overshadowed by the plot's absurdities — and there are many, many absurdities.

Stone's bold and wild performance is a celebration of female agency, intelligence, and the refusal to be defined by circumstances. Her ability to inject humor, warmth, and a rebellious spirit into Bella Baxter has resonated with audiences and critics alike across the board, making her Oscar win a celebration of a role that challenges and entertains in equal measure as Bella goes from experiment to liberated and powerful woman.

Stone previously took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Mia Dolan in La La Land. In the movie, Stone plays an aspiring actress in Los Angeles who falls in love with a jazz musician, played by Ryan Gosling. The film, directed by Damien Chazelle, is a musical romance that pays homage to the golden age of Hollywood musicals while exploring themes of love, dreams, and ambition.

Is 'Poor Things' Worth Watching?

In his review of the film, Collider's Ross Bonaime hailed the "staggering vision" of Lanthimos' direction, praising Stone for her incredible performance:

"Along every step of the way, we entirely buy Stone’s take on the character, and even though the story is absurdist in the best way, she always feels grounded. Bella is alluring, entrancing, and bewildering, and her way of viewing the world for the first time can’t help but draw people to her. Stone plays Bella to perfection, as we watch her become a woman with all the struggles and frustrations that that includes. Stone manages to make Bella heartbreaking, hilarious, sexy, surprising, and ingenious, and we fully feel as though we’ve watched the development of a human being over the film’s 2 1/2 hours. This isn’t just Stone’s best performance in a career that’s already given us so many roles, it’s also one of the best performances of the year."

To see Stone's Oscar-winning performance as the whirlwind that is Bella Baxter, you can watch Poor Things on Hulu.

Poor Things

R

Horror

Sci-Fi

The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.

Release Date

December 8, 2023

Director

Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast

Mark Ruffalo , Willem Dafoe , Margaret Qualley , Emma Stone

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Tony McNamara

Watch on Hulu