‘Poor Things’ Shows Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in an Ambitious Sex Marathon

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo‘s explicit drama Poor Things arrived on Hulu on Mar. 7, 2024, inspiring us to revisit one of the movie’s ambitious sex scenes.

The movie follows the story of Bella Baxter (Stone), a woman with the brain of an baby, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Bella is introduced to a smug lawyer named Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) and the two go on a series of travels where they explore the world… and each other’s bodies.

Poor Things is currently nominated for 11 awards at the 2024 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Directing.

In the movie, Bella is sexually inexperienced, which paves the way for Duncan to show her the ropes. After traveling to Lisbon and partaking in a quick meal, the two retreat to their hotel for a round of marathon sex.

During the montage, Bella and Duncan hook up in several different sex positions, including a passionate romp on a wooden chair and a more traditional lay in their large bed.

The scene is tastefully shot with quick cuts and creative camera angles, but not even the loud orchestrations covering Bella’s moans can distract viewers from what’s happening. The couple is having pretty wild sex, and a lot of it.

At the end of their evening, Bella innocently asks Duncan, “Why do people not just do this all the time?”

The lawyer replies, “At the risk of being immodest, you’ve just been thrice fucked by the very best. It’s probable no other man will ever bring you to the raptures I have. I feel bad for you.” OK, cocky much? Given that Ducan was Bella’s first time, he shouldn’t pat himself on the back too enthusiastically.

Bella tells him, “Then it will just be you I do furious jumping with. I’m rested, let us go again.”

“Again? Unforunately even I have my limits,” Duncan says.

When Bella refers to his response as a “weakness,” he agrees and suggests they go to sleep.

Lame.

This scene is just the start of Bella’s sexual awakening, which, once she grows tired of Duncan, she takes into her own hands. The movie is filled with odd and uncomfortable sex scenes, as well as humourous and ambitions ones, akin to the marathon bit. Eventually, Bella finds herself working at a brothel and has a few poor experiences, but grows infatuated with another sex worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba), whom she has an intimate and sensual relationship with.

The sex scenes in the movie is something that Lanthimos deems a “very important part of [Bella’s] journey.” The director elaborated on the scenes after being prompted by Decider’s Anna Menta at the 61st New York Film Festival screening in 2023. “I felt that we shouldn’t shy away from it. It would feel very disingenuous to tell this story about this character, who’s so free and so open, and then be [a] prude about the sexual aspect of it,” he said.

Whether you’re watching Poor Things to follow Bella’s journey to womanhood and independence, or because you’re checking a movie off your list of Oscar nominees, seeing Stone and Ruffalo roll in the hay is sure to leave you with a raised eyebrow or two.

Poor Things is currently streaming on Hulu.