Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) is the main character in the 2023 sci-fi/fantasy-comedy Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and adapted for the screen by Tony McNamara from the 1992 novel of the same name by Scottish novelist Alisdair Gray. The film follows Bella, a reanimated Frankenstein-esque creature - an adult woman with the brain of her unborn infant — through her growth and development, first in the home and laboratory of unorthodox but brilliant scientist Godwin “God” Baxter (Willem Dafoe) as observed by research assistant Msx McCandles (Ramy Youssef), during an escape and tryst with lawyer Duncan (Mark Ruffalo), and in points beyond as Bella chooses her own path apart from the men in her life.
Bella grows and develops into a fascinating creature. At first, impulsive and violent, jerking and joyous, during the course of extremely accelerated mental and emotional development, she becomes a brilliant, mature, thoughtful, generous, observant, and darkly funny woman in her prime. As the audience, we watch and marvel at her changing fears, hopes, dreams, and accomplishments as well as her development of agency in all facets of her life.
Regarding her queerness, sexuality is a focal point in her life and development but by no means her only source of fascination, wisdom, or progression. She ends up with a sense of chaotic good as she goes from a puppy-love-esque fascination with Max to a highly sexual but ultimately ephemeral fascination with Duncan, to a deep affection, friendship, and attraction to her friend Toinette (Suzy Bemba) and back to Max when he recognizes and acknowledges Bella’s right to control over her own life and love.
Despite science fiction being a place of wondering beyond what we normally see in our day-to-day world, we do not often see great examples of bisexuality in this genre. Bella’s addition to its firmament changes that and gives us splendid and vivacious bi representation therein.