Win tickets to Poor Things: the most anticipated arthouse film of the year, starring Emma Stone

Emma Stone in Poor Things. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved. Photograph: Atsushi Nishijima

Wild, lavish and riotously strange, Poor Things is the most unusual coming-of-age story you’ll see this summer. The director, Yorgos Lanthimos, cements himself as one of cinema’s boldest voices in this irreverent adventure that reunites him with the film’s star and producer, Emma Stone. Following on from The Favourite, their last collaboration, which earned Stone an Academy Award nomination, Lanthimos returns to the period drama fold. But while there are opulent gowns aplenty, Poor Things presents a version of Victorian England that audiences have never seen before.

Psychedelic colours and bizarre architecture abound in Lanthimos’s fairytale world, where a mad scientist, Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), has progressed from experimenting with animal hybrids to human subjects. Replacing the brain of a suicidal gentlewoman with that of her unborn child, he creates Bella Baxter, played by Stone in her most audacious performance yet.

Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara’s adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel of the same name follows Bella as she discovers motor skills, philosophy and sex with irreverent glee. When she meets the rakish Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) she’s whisked away on an adventure that takes her from Lisbon to Alexandria to Paris. Blending twisted comedy with sensual joy, Lanthimos weaves together a steampunk epic that won him the Golden Lion for best film at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival.

Poor Things Preview Screening event details

● Melbourne, Victoria (prize does not include travel expenses).

● Cinema Nova (380 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria).

● 6pm AEDT arrivals, Tuesday 12 December (for a 6:30pm AEDT screening).

● 9pm AEDT (approx.) Q&A with Academy Award nominated writer Tony McNamara.

Prize details

● Two tickets to the Q&A screening.

● Popcorn and drink on arrival.

Enter now

Terms and Conditions

Entering the Competition

^{1. The Searchlight: Poor Things competition (the “Competition”) is open to Victorian residents aged 18 and over (“You”) subject to paragraph 2 below.}

^{2. Employees or agencies or their family members of GNM Australia Limited (“GNM”, “We”) its group or parent companies, or anyone else connected with the Competition may not enter the Competition.}

^{3. By entering the Competition You are accepting these terms and conditions.}

^{4. To enter the Competition, You must read and follow the instructions in the ‘Enter now’ section of the article/competition page. If You have any questions about how to enter or in connection with the Competition, please e-mail us at studio.aus@theguardian.com with Searchlight: Poor Things in the subject line.}

^{5. You are responsible for the cost (if any) of sending your Competition entry to us.}

^{6. Only one entry is permitted per person.}

^{7. The start date and time of the Competition 5:00 pm AEDT 24 November 2023. The closing date and time of the Competition is 11:59 PM AEDT on Sunday 3rd December 2023. Entries received after that date and time will not be considered. GNM reserves the right in its absolute discretion to extend the closing date where the entries are not of sufficient quality.}

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^{a. Permission for your entry to be published on guardian.co.uk and grant GNM and its group companies a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to republish your Competition entry in electronic format and hard copy for purposes connected with the Competition; and}

^{b. The right to use your name and town or city of residence for the sole purpose of identifying You as the author of your entry and/or as a winner of the Competition.}

Draw and notification of winner

^{1. The winner will be chosen by random computer selection drawn at the Promoter’s address on Monday 4th December 2023 at 10:00 AM AEDT. The decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.}

The Prizes

^{1. Five winners will each win two tickets (valued at $27 per ticket) to the Searchlight: Poor Things film Q&A screening at Cinema Nova Melbourne (380 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053) on Tuesday 12th December 2023. The total prize pool is $270 (exc GST).}

^{2. The winner will be notified by GNM by email by 4:00 pm AEDT on 5 December 2023. If a winner does not respond to GNM within 24 hours of being notified by GNM, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner (and that winner will have to respond to the email from GNM within 24 hours or else they will also forfeit their prize). If a winner rejects their prize, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner. Any unclaimed prize draw will be held at the same location as the original draw and will be held 10:00am AEDT on 7 December 2023. The winner of the unclaimed prize draw (if applicable) will be notified by email within 24 hours.}

^{3. The prize will be sent to the winner by Disney by 8 December 2023.}

^{4. The prizes are not transferable by You and not redeemable for cash or any other prize. You must pay all other costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize.}

^{5. We retain the right to substitute the prize with another prize of similar value in the event that the original prize offered is not available.}

Some other rules

^{1. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed.}

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^{3. No purchase is necessary. Entry is free.}

^{4. The winner may be required for promotional activity.}

^{5. The Promoter of the Competition is GNM Australia Limited ABN 24 547 692 578 whose address is Level 3, 19 Foster St, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Any complaints regarding the Competition should be sent to this address.}

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^{7. GNM accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by You as a result of entering the Competition or accepting any prize. GNM further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to You or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the Competition.}

^{8. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding.}

^{9. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.}

^{10. The Competition will be governed by the Australian laws applicable in the State(s) and/or Territory(ies) in which it is conducted.}