
The Lift
2021

2023
RDirector
Yorgos Lanthimos
Runtime
141 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The story focuses on sexual awakening within a heteronormative framework. It explores liberation and the dismantling of shame without centering queer identities or non-cisnormative expressions.
Gender Representation
The film subverts traditional hierarchies by portraying male authority figures as fragile or inept. It prioritizes female intellectual and bodily autonomy as the primary driver of the plot.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
Settings like Lisbon and Paris suggest multicultural urbanity, but casting remains centered on a Western European aesthetic. Diversity feels more atmospheric than character-driven.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative critiques Victorian social contracts, class hierarchies, and religious formality as restrictive. It celebrates personal truth over inherited dogma and institutional norms.
Disability Representation
Godwin Baxter’s physical scarring is integrated as a complex, non-normative human experience. The film grants him significant agency and intellectual weight rather than using disability for mockery.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Poor Things is a radical deconstruction of patriarchal control, centering on a protagonist who rejects male-dominated structures to achieve autonomy. The film excels at dismantling gendered power dynamics, portraying the evolution of female agency as a disruptive force against traditional social architecture. However, the film's progressive stance is unevenly distributed. While it masterfully subverts gender roles, it remains more traditional in its approach to sexual orientation and ethnic casting, leaning heavily on a Western European aesthetic. Ultimately, the work functions as a sophisticated critique of institutional norms, using a surrealist lens to celebrate individual liberation against systemic oppression.
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