Movies - TV
How Emma Stone Really Feels About Poor Things’ Controversial Sex Scenes
By SHAE SENNETT
Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2023 film “Poor Things” has received much acclaim, but it’s also been the subject of some backlash due to its subject matter.
The film follows Bella, a woman who dies only to be revived and have her brain replaced with that of an infant, setting her on a journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration.
While some have criticized Lanthimos for the film’s sex scenes, star and producer Emma Stone shared with GamesRadar+ that she had no issues with them.
Stone explained, “[The shoots] were very comfortable. It was a really small room every time, it was very few people, and we had an amazing intimacy coordinator, Elle McAlpine.”
She added, “In some ways, those scenes were kind of easier than the other ones because they were so choreographed and so straightforward.”
According to Stone, “Even though most people are reacting to those [scenes] a lot because they feel more intense, they actually were completely fine.”
For Stone, these sex scenes are “completely necessary to Bella’s journey and growth.” The actress added, “They feel very clinical and often very funny — to me, at least.”
Lanthimos praised Stone at a press conference for the Venice Film Festival, saying, “We can communicate without having to explain or talk too much about things.”
He continued, “As soon as I started saying something about sex, she would say: ‘Yes, of course, it’s Bella. We will do what we need to do.’”