THERE’S one thing you need to know about Poor Things. It’s laugh-out-loud funny. Or at least that was certainly the reaction of a packed Glasgow Film Theatre for a special preview screening of the new adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 work.

Watch any trailer for Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s take on the novel and you’re at first likely to be struck by the eccentricity, the somewhat oddness of how it looks and sounds.

Effectively a retelling of the classic Frankenstein story, at the film’s centre is Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) who is re-animated with the brain of her unborn child through the work of Scottish scientist Godwin “God” Baxter (Willem Dafoe).

Growing tired of life inside her “father God's" house, Bella chooses to run off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), despite her engagement to Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) to explore the world and her newfound sexuality.

The screening was introduced by Gray’s son, Andrew, who was clearly touched by the care Lanthimos has taken in adapting his father’s work.

Indeed, the director had visited the writer and artist in Glasgow where the pair discussed what it might look like. 

The finished product shows the pairing was a match made in heaven.

It’s clear to see the affinity the filmmaker has for the original work, with clear similarities between his steampunk vision of Lisbon and Paris bearing plenty of similarities to the illustrations Gray placed such emphasis on in his work.

READ MORE: Inside the archives of iconic Scottish creative Alasdair Gray​

It’s a mesmerising experience, and it’s great fun to follow the childlike Bella around the world as she explores all there is to know about humanity. 

Stone in particular puts in a stunning performance as Bella, perfectly capturing her childlike mannerisms with her movement as much as her lines.

The film’s best moments come when she’s paired up with Ruffalo, who does a wicked impression of a dastardly Victorian villain, looking to control Bella for his own nefarious purposes.  

That’s not to take anything away from Dafoe whose performance harks back to a classic horror villain as he assumes the Victor Frankenstein role.

And, crucially, his Scottish accent isn’t half bad either despite being an ask which seems to have cursed many an actor down the years.

Importantly, the director doesn’t lose sight of any of the four main characters even when they’re separated from one another with everyone given a chance to shine.

With Oscar season just around the corner, it would be no surprise to see the film pick up a number of nominations across the categories.

Coming in at just under two and a half hours, admittedly nothing out of the ordinary for modern cinema, the film never feels like it drags.

It’s neatly split into a series of chapters, each one exploring a different part of Bella’s journey whether it’s in Lisbon, Paris or London.

READ MORE: Poor Things: Why new Alasdair Gray adaptation is proving divisive

Based on the reaction from the crowd, it’ll be best to try see Poor Things in a packed cinema where every joke can be met with collective laughter.

There’s no doubt those in Glasgow likely have higher expectations for the film than anywhere else given Gray’s close ties with the city.

And they’ll be happy to hear that the end result is a playful, bonkers tribute to one of Glasgow's, and indeed Scotland’s, greatest creatives.

Poor Things will be released across the UK on January 12 2024.