By Sarah T. Schwab

“Substance over form” is an accounting principle mandating that a company’s formal disclosures give substantive information about its financial status; in layman’s terms, don’t show me a hot dog and tell me it’s filet mignon. The same goes for film.

Writer/Director Yorgoas Lanthimos has proven his ability to fill his unique, aesthetic form with intriguing, substantive stories such as “Dogtooth” (2009), “The Lobster” (2015), and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017). Lanthimos’ film, “Poor Things” (2023), does not disappoint.

Loosely based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, the film is set in 18th Century London and tells the story of a seemingly brain-damaged young woman, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone).

Baxter’s caretaker is the “monstrously” disfigured father-figure Godwin Baxter (Willem Defoe), an esteemed surgeon noted for his groundbreaking, unconventional practices, whom Bella calls “God.”

“Poor Things” begins in black and white, demonstrating how Bella sees the world isolated in “God’s” mansion. Although she eats meals with her hands, breaks dishes, speaks with poor grammar, and urinates herself, she maintains a powerful curiosity about sexuality, death and the outside world, especially charmed by “sugar and violence.”

One of the film’s most provocative scenes takes place when Bella places a piece of fruit inside herself, bringing an orgasm. An observing maid is aghast and asks what she is doing. Bella replies, “working on myself to get happiness.” Bella is duly reprimanded and informed that such behavior is not what one does in “polite society.”

Bella’s mind, although child-like, bears a powerful determination to learn not only about herself, but humanity in general. As her cognitive skills improve, she tells “God” that she wishes to go on an adventure.

“God” allows her to leave with his family friend Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), who believes that freedom of exploration is the key to living well. As Bella and Duncan begin their fantastical, heartfelt odyssey, the film turns to color à la “The Wizard of Oz” (1939).

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan uses a fisheye lens to lend a peculiar tone to the adventure narrative, transporting the viewer into a psychedelic world whenever Bella experiences intense emotion created by violence, exotic food, good sex, new places, good music, and human kindness; this effect is enhanced by Jerskin Fendrix’s eclectic, Oscar-nominated score.

Whatever Bella experiences, good or bad, she refuses to be constrained by any person or the conventions of “polite society,” speaking blunt truth to whomever she meets, regardless of consequences.

The viewer eventually finds out the truth of Bella’s weird, fascinating past, explaining how Bella came to live with “God,” and allowing us to speculate on the person she will become.

“Poor Things” has a running time of 2:22. It can be streamed on many platforms.

Sarah T. Schwab is and filmmaker and contributing film critic at The Buffalo Hive. You can find more information at http://www.sarahtschwab.com and http://www.cardinalflix.com.