Does Poor Things follow the book?

“Poor Things” is a film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone as a Frankenstein’s-monster-like creature named Bella. The movie is based on the book of the same name by Alasdair Gray, which was originally published in 1992.

The novel closely follows the plot of the film, focusing on Bella, who is brought back to life but given the brain of a fetus. As a result, she operates very much like a child despite inhabiting a grown woman’s body. Bella’s journey in both the book and the film is a darkly comedic and bizarre exploration of womanhood and self-discovery.

The premise of “Poor Things” involves Bella’s resurrection with an infant’s brain, leading her to navigate the world with both humor and emotional depth. She encounters pleasures, greed, cruelty, and cynicism as she discovers her identity and seeks liberation.

However, there are some differences between the book and the movie. One significant change occurs at the end of Bella’s journey. In the film, an abusive husband named Alfie (played by Christopher Abbott) reappears after Bella’s body has been brought back to life with a new brain.

This twist forces Bella to confront a physical manifestation of all the worst things she has encountered in the world. Writer Tony McNamara had to go beyond Gray’s original book to create this darker ending while maintaining thematic and tonal consistency with the story. Bella’s fight back against Alfie reflects her fearless character growth throughout the film.

In summary, “Poor Things” is indeed an adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel, and while it closely follows its source material, there are intriguing differences that make both versions worth exploring . If you’re curious about how these elements play out on screen, you can watch the film when it releases on September 28th, 2023.