Frankenhooker: A medical student sets out to recreate his decapitated fiancée by building her a new body made of Manhattan street prostitutes.
Poor Things: The evolution of Bella Baxter; a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter.
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Hollywood having no creativity and just recycling the past? Say it ain't so!
shareYou might be being sarcastic, but this is online, so I'll just clarify that Poor Things is based off a 1992 Scottish novel (not Hollywood), directed by a Hungarian filmmaker, and both ideas (Poor Things and Frankenhooker) co-opt their obvious influence, Frankenstein.
There are similarities, to be sure - both use sex as their way to explore their newfound life.
But in Poor Things, she learns language, becomes independent, and has an entire fleshed-out and often comedic coming-of-age story. It's my favourite film of 2023, and I've seen many (Hollywood or not, in case that was your temperament).
In Frankenhooker, she escapes to the nearest bar, then her owner strikes her so hard her head mostly detaches from her body, only to try to be kidnapped and then her owner is revived with a woman's body. A very slightly different plot. Indeed, it is a Lloyd Kaufman film, so it is fun in its own way, transgressive and boundary-breaking for its time, contributing to an entire new style of film in itself. So Frankenhooker is actually important.
But Poor Things is not a rip-off, by any means. It's not even close in tone.
Again, you may have been sarcastic, but still. It isn't 100% a Hollywood film, and it is quite original, funny, well-shot, imaginative, and my film of 2023. So anyone should feel encouraged to see this brilliant film, in my opinion.
Not Hungarian, Greek.
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