Warning: This post contains spoilers for Poor Things

Summary

• Bella ends up living happily at Godwin's estate and swapping Alfie's brain with a goat.
• Bella's choice to leave Max at the altar for Alfie hints at her curiosity and desire for truth.
• Duncan reunites Bella and Alfie out of spite and control, but she eventually breaks free.

Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things ends with Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter living large at Godwin’s (Willem Dafoe) estate following his death. Poor Things follows Bella on her journey from a Frankenstein-esque creation to a full-fledged woman as she learns the ways of the world through various experiences that change her and help her understand the complexities of her existence. Poor Things wraps up Bella’s story with her escape from Alfie Blessington’s (Christopher Abbott) manor after changing her mind about marrying Max (Ramy Youssef), but she’s quickly irked by Alfie's threats and attempts to control her.

Feeling trapped and wanting to leave, Bella ends up shooting Alfie in the foot and taking him home with her. With Godwin now dead, Bella performs her first experiment: swapping Alfie’s brain with that of a goat. At the end of Poor Things​​​​​​, Bella ends up with her own version of happily ever after: she, Max, Felicity (another creation of Godwin), and Toinette, her friend from the brothel in Paris, living together at Godwin’s estate. Duncan is nowhere in sight, but Poor Things’ ending sees Bella in the next stage of her journey.

Godwin’s Experiment & Bella’s Creation Explained

Bella was more than an experiment.

Godwin was lonely and wanted a companion by his side, and he grew to love Bella as a daughter.

Dr. Godwin Baxter is a scientist whose own father experimented on him, and, though he didn’t plan on creating someone like Bella, Godwin saw an opportunity he couldn’t up when he found Victoria’s nearly dead body on the shore after she jumped off the bridge. Experimenting on Bella by placing Victoria’s baby’s infant mind into the body of a grown woman was intriguing for Godwin, and he was able to examine her growth closely.

More than simply creating Bella for science, however, Godwin was lonely and wanted a companion by his side. His father had always been cruel to him, and Godwin enjoyed the affection Bella gave him as a father figure, growing to love her as a daughter. Bella’s presence and her proclivity for learning brought Godwin joy and gave him the love he was robbed of in his life. Godwin also understood Bella because he, to a lesser extent, was not a stranger to experimentation, but Bella opened his heart further. Without her, Godwin would have been aimless, solely focused on science, without any affection in his life.

Why Bella Left Max At The Altar For Alfie Blessington

Alfie was Bella's only link to her past as Victoria.

Bella Baxter was endlessly curious. While she seemed content with her decision to marry Max, she wasn’t yet done with exploring and learning. She especially wanted to know the truth, especially after she had been lied to her whole life. So, when Alfie Blessington showed up to stop the wedding, Bella went with him to find out what Victoria’s life was like before being reborn as “Bella”, as Victoria was a piece of the puzzle Bella hadn't quite figured out yet.

It’s also possible Bella wasn’t fully convinced she should marry Max, and this wasn't the first time she left him to explore the world and other relationships. It's also possible that Bella felt a life with Alfie would’ve been more interesting, even if she didn’t intend to stay forever.

Does Bella Choose Max Despite Leaving Him For Alfie?

Bella's love life is unclear by the end of Poor Things.

It’s unclear if Bella will ever marry after her experiences with Duncan and Alfie.

Bella leaves Max at the altar despite agreeing to marry him and leaves him to go with Blessington, but even after escaping from Alfie, Poor Things never confirms if Bella married Max after returning home or not. The film’s ending sees the pair in good spirits and there doesn’t seem to be any ill will between them. As mentioned above, Bella and Max continue living their lives and caring for the estate together, but it’s unclear if Bella will ever marry after her experiences with Duncan and Alfie.

It’s possible that those same experiences, along with her "upbringing" with Max always close to her, made Bella realize that she and Max can be together without the confines of marriage or, simply, that they can be good friends.

Why Duncan Reunites Bella & Alfie Despite Wanting To Be With Her

Duncan never truly cared about Bella.

Duncan knew Bella had had a life before him as Victoria, and finding Alfie Blessington for her was his way of making her suffer.

Duncan and Bella ran away together and they were initially living their best lives, but after Duncan’s attempts to control Bella, she decided he was no good anymore and dumped him. Thereafter, Duncan is rejected by Bella multiple times, and he can’t stand it. Yet despite everything, he wanted to be with her, if only to continue exerting his control. By reuniting Bella and Alfie, Duncan wanted nothing more than to punish Bella for not choosing him.

Duncan knew she had had a life before him as Victoria, and finding Alfie Blessington for her was his way of making her suffer. Duncan knew that Blessington wouldn’t treat Bella well and would try to control her, and he relished the idea that she wouldn’t be happy without him – because if he couldn’t have Bella, then Duncan would make sure she was miserable. In a twisted way, Duncan was probably trying to get Bella to see how good she had it with him; she didn’t, but Duncan was really only thinking of himself and his hurt feelings.

The Real Meaning Behind Bella’s Choice To Become A Doctor

Bella made a big decision at the end of Poor Things.

Near the end of Poor Things, Bella decides she wants to become a doctor. For a long time after the cruise, and after she saw the worst in humanity and what life offers to some but not to others, Bella wanted to help the world in her own way. Being a doctor would allow her to do that, and she would also be following in Godwin’s footsteps and carrying on his work.

Being a doctor would allow her to help people, and, perhaps, experiment more in the future, just like Godwin did.

Bella proved she has a knack for performing surgery with what she did to Alfie, and it’s likely she wants to continue doing what she feels is justified. Being a doctor would allow her to help people, and, perhaps, experiment more in the future, just like Godwin did.

What Was Bella's Life Like Before Her Death & Resurrection?

Before being Bella Baxter, she was Victoria Blessington.

Victoria being reborn as Bella gave her an entirely new life.

Before Bella was resurrected by Godwin, she was Victoria Blessington, a wealthy woman who enjoyed engaging in cruelty with Alfie against her staff. Unlike Bella, who wanted nothing more than to explore all that life had to offer, Victoria was seemingly content to remain at home or engage with high society. However, Victoria’s pregnancy changed her: she hated the baby, and it’s possible she began to feel trapped, both in motherhood and in her life. As this information comes from Alfie, not Victoria, it's likely there’s more to the story, but Victoria being reborn as Bella gave her an entirely new life.

What Director Yorgos Lanthimos Has Said About Bella's Happy Ending In Poor Things

Poor Thing's happy ending took many by surprise.

Poor Things has a surprisingly happy ending that many didn't expect due to Lanthimos' previous works, which aren't known for ending on an optimistic note. Despite all the things that happen in Poor Things at the same time, between the characters' journeys, their contexts, the surreal settings, the music, and more, it's Bella the one who stands out at all times. Bella's impact was such that, according to Lanthimos and screenwriter Tony McNamara, she changed the ending of Poor Things.

Lanthimos and McNamara told Polygon that being faithful to Bella meant being "ultimately faithful to an idea of this sort of optimism about life's adventure", and that's what led to Bella getting a happy ending in Poor Things.

What Poor Things Changes From Alasdair Gray’s Book

Poor Things is based on the book of the same name.

Poor Things is based on Alasdair Gray’s book of the same name, first published in 1992. The film makes multiple and crucial changes to the novel’s premise while maintaining the crux of the story. In the book, Bella is already married to Max (who is Archibald McCandless here), and she doesn’t live with or have a complex relationship with Dr. Godwin Baxter.

It’s Archibald who informs Bella of Godwin’s experimentation and the core of her existence. Bella doesn’t believe his story, but she does end up with Duncan and travels to various locations, though she travels farther in the book, to Central Asia and other parts of Europe beyond .

Poor Things is the first film adaptation of Gray's book.

How Poor Things Compares To Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Poor Things is heavily influenced by Frankenstein.

Poor Things is a response to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and it criticizes the Victorian era. While Frankenstein is about the consequences of pushing the boundaries of science without thought, it also examines death and the human response to a creature such as Frankenstein’s monster. Poor Things also explores the themes of death and existence, and it goes a step further in its study of feminism and identity. Bella’s story is different from Frankenstein's because she moves through the world as a woman, and her perspective is affected by this experience.

This is especially the case as multiple men try to mold her mind and control her for their own ends. Poor Things is certainly more of a satire, but Gray and Shelley are essentially interested in exploring the same themes and big questions, such as what it means to simply exist and to die. Both authors grapple with societal norms, though Poor Things delves a bit deeper when it comes to Bella’s experiences, as she contends with life’s inequalities and complexities, and how she is perceived by those who want to manipulate her.