“Poor Things” is a wonderfully weird experience.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos has crafted a darkly comedic spin on the “Frankenstein” tale that is very smart with a very talented cast – anchored by career work from Emma Stone.

Stone plays Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem DaFoe). At first Baxter isolates his creation, determined to control her progression, but as Bella’s learning accelerates so does her desire to explore beyond her sheltered existence.

A young medical student named Max (Ramy Youssef) that is assisting Baxter falls smitten with Bella, asking for her hand in marriage. Before the couple can wed, Bella becomes involved with a self-centered lawyer named Duncan (Mark Ruffalo). Bella and Duncan run off together, setting out on a journey that serves as both a sexual and spiritual liberation for Bella. 

Lanthimos has always been a filmmaker that isn’t afraid to think outside the box, with “The Favourite,” “The Lobster” and “Killing of a Sacred Deer” among his films that have challenged audiences in exciting new ways. Working again with “The Favourite” writer Tony McNamara (adapting a novel from Alasdair Gray), Lanthimos has crafted a film unlike any you’ve ever seen.

This is a wondrous world, with richly developed characters. The dialogue is sharp and witty, with Robbie Ryan’s cinematography and Jersin Fendrix’s score exceptional. 

Ruffalo is fantastic, perfectly encapsulating the sleazy buffoon Duncan truly is, but he is part of a near-perfect supporting cast. DaFoe is his usual reliable self, while Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and Kathryn Hunter all have memorable moments as well.

But “Poor Things” is taken to another level by the spectacular work by Stone. Already an Oscar winner for “La La Land,” Stone is definitely in the conversation again with the kind of go for broke performance that takes a lot of guts – and talent – to pull off.

She brings “Bella,” and in a grander scale the entire film, to life in astounding fashion. This is a tale of awakening that Stone really embraces, a wild coming-of-age journey that could well be the film Lanthimos has been building too. It’s one of the best films of the year and one of the most unique theatrical experiences in recent memory.  

Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos

Rating: R for strong and pervasive sexual content, graphic nudity, disturbing material, gore and language

Playing at: Belcourt Theater in Nashville

Grade: A