Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Poor Things’ clinched the Best Picture — Musical or Comedy award at the 2024 Golden Globes, triumphing over the favoured Barbie.
Lanthimos accepted the award on behalf of the cast, expressing gratitude to them and expressing his excitement about engaging with Bruce Springsteen, also present at the ceremony.
The film revolves around Emma Stone’s boldly unconventional character, Bella Baxter, undergoing multiple forms of revival. Adapted from Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, it weaves a narrative of audacious liberation, emotional experimentation, and profound sexual exploration.
Lanthimos’ fusion of sci-fi elements drawn from Lovecraftian horror, Gothic fiction, and Frankenstein contributed significantly to the film’s recognition with the Best Picture accolade.
Lanthimos’ has led the Greek New Wave, or New Greek Cinema movement with his dysopic, unconventional and dark comedies. His early films like ‘My Best Friend’ (2001), ‘Kinetta’ (2005), and ‘Dogtooth’ (2009), with the latter securing the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2015, he embarked on a shift from Greek-language cinema to English-language productions. His work garnered critical acclaim, earning him Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay with The Lobster (2015), and nominations for Best Director and Best Picture with ‘The Favourite’ (2018).
Poor Things competed against Ben Affleck’s Air, Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’, Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’, and Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’.
Courage formed an underlying thematic current across the nominated films, serving as a cornerstone in the creation of ‘Poor Things’ and resonating throughout the others in various ways.
Watch the trailer for ‘Poor Things’