Yorgos Lanthimos’ films are strange, bold, and unforgettable—the kind that stays with you long after the credits roll. They provoke discomfort, curiosity, and, surprisingly, a sense of intrigue that keeps you coming back for more. Lanthimos’ work represents cinema at its most daring, offering audiences a chance to experience stories that break free from conventional norms. Whether it is the shocking isolation of Dogtooth, the dark satire of The Lobster, or the surreal spectacle of Poor Things, Lanthimos challenges viewers to step into worlds where the rules feel eerily familiar yet entirely alien. His films critique societal constructs while immersing us in beautiful, imaginative, thought-provoking narratives.
At the heart of Lanthimos’ brilliance is his ability to craft stories that linger. Collaborating with celebrated screenwriter Tony McNamara, he transforms complex ideas into sharp, compelling scripts. Most of his characters do not resist their strange realities; they accept them without question. This passivity pulls audiences deeper into the unsettling worlds Lanthimos creates. Their resignation becomes ours at some point during the film, leaving us abandoned to an odd but mesmerising parallel universe. In Dogtooth, a father’s oppressive control over his grown children goes unchallenged. In The Lobster, a dystopian society enforces bizarre rules about relationships that nobody questions. These stories compel us to reflect on the arbitrary norms in our own world, norms we rarely think to contest. Lanthimos pushes viewers to consider how many of our societal constructs are just as absurd.
In Poor Things, he pushes these norms to their limits, exploring their implications. Bella Baxter has the brain of a baby but the body of a woman; she has never heard of social conduct or rules. Her emancipation from women’s societal expectations highlights our own docility to absurd norms, challenging us to see that what we consider normal can be as dystopian as his stories.
Yorgos Lanthimos knows how to leave a mark, especially visually. His signature wide-angle and fisheye lenses amplify mood. In The Favourite and Poor Things, fisheye shots stir up unease and intimacy in equal measure, while wide shots expose the coldness and isolation of his worlds. However, Lanthimos’ true magic lies in his decades-long collaboration with Oscar-nominated editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, who ensures every frame is unforgettable. Mavropsaridis’ golden rule is never to cut a scene too soon. He honours sound, music, and editing simultaneously, creating scenes that move to the rhythm of a door closing or a very slow close-up. The result is hypnotic sights and sounds woven into long, immersive moments that captivate and refuse to let go.
“Yorgos Lanthimos, Tim League, THE LOBSTER, Fantastic Fest 2015-9971.jpg” by annainaustin is licensed under CC BY 2.0.