With Poor Things racking up a lot of critical praise over the last three months, it’s very clear that Emma Stone may have found the director who she can elevate her craft with, and that is Yorgos Lanthimos. As a whole, Poor Things has acquired 11 nominations going into awards night. It’s a visually stunning film that feels ripped from a children’s book, although, be advised, it does not have a level of children’s content in the movie.

Every great director finds their one partner in crime who feeds off one another creatively. In the stories shared between Lanthimos and Stone during the award-season buzz, you can tell that the magic behind this project did not happen overnight. Emma Stone is great at just about anything. She’ll take weak material and make it entertaining (looking at you, Gangster Squad). Then she’ll have something like this, a role that feels career-defining in the sense that she has a massive playground to play on and an imaginative world to immerse herself in.

Creative Trust
Searchlight Pictures 

To make a film of this magnitude, which is a little bit of a toss-up between art house meets comedy meets Frankenstein, an actor needs to have a lot of trust in their director. Luckily, this is not the first go-around for Lanthimos and Stone. The pair worked together on 2018’s The Favourite, which landed Stone an Oscar nomination. Lanthimos has gone on record about Stone by saying,

“There is absolutely nothing Emma Stone won’t do” and that “she is fearless.” For her character, Bella Baxter, a woman who staggers around a home like a baby in the early parts of the film, due to her having an infant’s brain in a grown woman’s body, one must be able to respect material like that. So, with Stone’s comical attributes and understanding of dramatic character arcs, she makes the perfect fit for Lanthimos’ protagonist.

The Favourite Release Date November 23, 2018 Runtime 120 Main Genre History

Related: Fans of Poor Things Should Revisit The Favourite

Emma Stone is a Physical Comic Queen
Searchlight

Long before Emma Stone ever met Yorgos Lanthimos, she could deliver physical comedy. Her timing was reminiscent of the likes of Gilda Radner. Stone got comically punched in the face in 2007’s Superbad and yelled “What the f–k!” and a star was born. She’s very animated, so why not fit her into a world that feels like it could double as a cartoon?

Poor Things isn’t a straight-forward comedy; there are a lot of dramatic themes to it. Yet Lanthimos always creates a flip side to his plot lines, making them also feel like a comedy. Case in point: many feel Killing of a Sacred Deer is a bit of a comedy at times. So, as much as we love Bella’s character arc for two plus hours, let us not forget that off-beat, hilarious dance number Stone does an hour in.

Poor Things Release Date December 8, 2023 Runtime 2hr 21min

A Big World for Bella
Searchlight

Like all of us, when we get out there in the world, we see how big it really is. Bella Baxter becomes wowed and enamored by the world around her as she leaves behind her creator, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). There is a lot to be said about the ‘self’ in Poor Things. As for Stone’s performance, she thrives as the focal point of the movie, giving her time and space to expand her mind and grow.

When given roles like this, Stone flourishes. It’s clear in her performance that between takes, she and her director are in constant conversation about how the character evolves, and even the most subtle movements by her are pivotal. There’s a big world for Bella to play in, and Stone and even Lanthimos needed to be perfect in their execution of that. Clearly, it has paid off.

Related: 10 Movies You Should Watch Next if You Loved Poort Things

Press Tours and Other Film Projects
Film 4/TSG Entertainment/Element Pictures

With Poor Things making the rounds and the press tour of it lasting for quite some time, it is clear as day that these two are on the same page creatively. Lanthimos and Stone also collaborate on projects outside of major motion pictures. The pair released a film called Bleat, which has only been seen twice and was shot in Greece, where Lanthimos lives. A photo shoot was created to go along with the film. It’s clear that, despite Stone being one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, she also wants to work with a director on creative passion projects. She may have found her director. The pair also appear on press tours in perfect synergy, making jokes and laughing with one another about on-set experiences. Poor Things was not made by actors phoning it in for a paycheck or award-season buzz; this film was made with a purpose in mind.

Every on-screen talent needs one filmmaker who can guide them through any role that challenges them creatively. Johnny Depp had Tim Burton, Robert De Niro had and still has Martin Scorsese, Samuel L. Jackson, and Quentin Tarantino are all prime examples of this level of synergy on the creative spectrum. It’s clear that Emma Stone has her go-to projects that elevate her creatively.