Despite being released this week, Poor Things is already one of the most talked-about films of the year. And with multiple Golden Globes and Critics Choice wins in the bag already, not to mention 11 BAFTA nominations and Oscar predictions galore, it's showing no signs of slowing down.
The Yorgos Lanthimos film - an adaptation of Alasdair Gray's 1992 play, follows Bella Baxter (Stone), a woman who a scientist brings back from the dead to rediscover life.
And while it has been critically acclaimed across the board, the film has received some criticism for its controversial and graphic sex scenes.
This is something that Emma Stone herself weighed in on this week, defending the film's sex scenes in an interview with BBC Radio 4.
“So much of this was about being true to Bella’s experience," Stone explained. "Sex is obviously a huge part of her experience and her growth, as it is I think for most people in life. But I see it as just one aspect of many - her discovery of food, philosophy, travel, and dance. Sex is another aspect.”
She continued: “One of the things that we had talked about from very early on and I thought was extremely important was that Bella is completely free and without shame about her body. She doesn’t know to be embarrassed by these things or to cover things up or not dive into the full experience when it comes to anything. So for the camera to sort of shy away from that, or to say, ‘OK, well, we’ll just cut all of this out because our society functions in a particular way’ felt like a lack of being honest about who Bella is.”
“I’m not a person that just wants to be naked all the time, but I am someone who wants to honour the character as fully as I possibly can. That’s part of her journey, so who am I to say that should be shameful?”
Well that's that.
Poor Things is in UK cinemas now.
