Poor Things (2023)
Science Fiction, Romance, Comedy
The Kernel take
Poor Things scored 88 ("Universal Acclaim", 92% positive across 62 reviews), and on a $35M budget (marketing undisclosed) it grossed $117.6M worldwide — roughly 3.4x the budget alone, a solid outcome for an R-rated surrealist period piece built on awards-season prestige rather than mass-market appeal.
Director track record: Yorgos Lanthimos
Poor Things' 88 is well above Yorgos Lanthimos' 73.9-point average across these films — his second-highest score here, behind only The Favourite (91).
Lead track record: Emma Stone
Poor Things' 88 is well above Emma Stone's 60.9-point average across these roles — one of her three best-reviewed credits in this list, alongside La La Land (94) and The Favourite (91).
Box office
Budget $35M · Box office $117.6M
Poor Things followed the same specialty-release pattern: gross rose 93.9% in its second week as the film expanded from a limited opening, and its 52.3x domestic multiplier points to a long awards-season run through the winter rather than one big weekend.