When is ‘Poor Things’ leaving Netflix? Emma Stone movie has a final streaming date
Emma Stone’s ‘Poor Things’ has a final Netflix date. The Oscar-winning sci-fi fantasy will leave the streaming service on September 7, according to Netflix’s official September departures list. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the 2023 film runs for 141 minutes. Tony McNamara and Lanthimos wrote the screenplay from Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel. The story puts a strange spin on the classic ‘Frankenstein’ setup and follows a woman who gets a second chance at life. The film centers on Bella Baxter, a woman whom scientist Godwin Baxter brings back to life. Emma Stone plays Bella, while Willem Dafoe plays Godwin. Mark Ruffalo stars as lawyer Duncan Wedderburn. Bella starts with an adult body but a developing mind. She gradually learns how to move, speak, eat, understand pleasure, deal with cruelty and poverty, and form her own ideas about morality.
That unusual setup gives Stone room to show Bella’s growth through her behavior rather than a conventional coming-of-age story. Her posture, speech, and expressions change as she gains more knowledge about herself and the world around her. Duncan becomes an important part of that process after he introduces Bella to sexual desire. He expects her innocence to make her easy to control, but Bella does not respond to the world according to the rules he expects.
This way, the movie subverts the belief that innocence leads to obedience, because Bella, who does not know the rules of social conventionality, behaves in situations without guilt and restrictions that restrain adults. The decisions she makes might also be selfish and malicious. In the beginning, Bella is unable to consider the effects of her actions on others. The movie does not use that lack of empathy as an excuse for how others treat her. On the contrary, Bella learns about her freedom, obligations, and identity over time. She is unwilling to allow others to interpret her body and experiences for her.
Mark Ruffalo adds a comedic element to the performance of Duncan, whose confidence eventually turns into frustration, as he believes he knows everything about Bella. Stone’s performance earned major awards attention during the 2023-24 awards season. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Bella, adding another Oscar to her career after her win for ‘La La Land’. The movie also received 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won four Academy Awards, with victories for Stone, production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling.
