Mark Ruffalo knows his way around genre movies, particularly those with a science fiction bent. Along with his long tenure as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s also reached sci-fi fans with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Adam Project, and Mickey 17. Most recently, he’s been seen reprising Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where Bruce’s Savage Hulk persona resurfaces for the first time in nearly a decade.
Then there’s Poor Things, which is arguably Ruffalo’s most critically-acclaimed sci-fi movie, yet has also been described as a sex comedy, black comedy, and absurdist comedy. Based on the same-named 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, which in turn was a twist on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, one of the first sci-fi tales, Poor Things was a critical and commercial hit upon its release in late 2023, and it’s now set to return to streaming in just a matter of hours.
Ruffalo’s Poor Things Is Quickly Shifting Streaming Homes
The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed and Tony McNamara-written movie will be available to stream on Hulu starting tomorrow, September 7. This follows Poor Things’ recent exit from Netflix, and it’s also been accessible in the past on Peacock. Poor Things is one of several high-profile movies still left to hit Hulu in September, with others including Babylon, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Wicked, and A Complete Unknown.
Primarily taking place in an alternate version of late 19th century London, Poor Things stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxton, who was originally a pregnant woman named Victoria Blessington who died by suicide. “Born” with an infantile mind, Bella learns about humanity and takes a particularly big interest in sexual pleasure. Ruffalo plays Duncan Wedderbum, a shady and hedonistic lawyer with whom she runs away. Poor Things’ cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbot, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, and Kathryn Hunter, among others.
The Sci-Fi Film Could Follow Another Ruffalo Title To Become A Streaming Hit
With Poor Things now heading to Hulu, it’s possible that it could experience the same kind of streaming success that Mickey 17 has had on Netflix. The Bong Joon-ho-directed feature, which stars Ruffalo as the antagonistic leader of the Niflheim expedition, has become the eighth most-watched movie on Netflix worldwide. It’s a sharp contrast from how Mickey 17 failed to earn back its budget at the box office, though it did earn primarily positive critical reception.
As for Poor Things, it boasts an impressive 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ critic-driven Tomatometer, while the user-driven Popcornmeter rests at 80%. ScreenRant’s review of Poor Things awarded the movie nine out of 10 stars, saying it’s “a horny, hedonistic, and hysterical gem of a film with an all-time great performance from Emma Stone.” Among Poor Things’ many accolades was winning two Golden Globes and being nominated in five other categories, followed by four Academy Award wins and seven other nominations.
Following his appearances in Crime 101 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Ruffalo will be seen later this year in Being Heumann and Good Sex, which will be released by Apple Studios and Netflix, respectively. The actor is also returning for Task season 2 on HBO.
- Release Date
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December 7, 2023
- Runtime
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141 minutes
- Director
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Yorgos Lanthimos
