The creative partnership between Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos feels like an artistic experiment too good to be true. Known for her versatility across genres, Stone brings warmth, wit, and emotional depth to every role she plays. Lanthimos, on the other hand, is a master of cinematic oddity — creating surreal, unsettling films that challenge traditional storytelling. When the two first teamed up for The Favourite (2018), their collaboration proved to be a triumph, with critics and audiences taking notice. Since then, Stone has become a recurring presence in Lanthimos’ eccentric universe.
How The Favourite Sparked a Bold Cinematic Collaboration
The Favourite introduced audiences to the creative chemistry between Stone and Lanthimos. In this twisted period drama, Stone plays Abigail Hill, a servant who worms her way into Queen Anne’s inner circle, navigating toxic relationships with wit and cunning. This film marked a turning point in Lanthimos’ career, with its substantial production scale and critical acclaim elevating his profile. The Favourite earned multiple awards, including an Oscar for Olivia Colman and a nomination for Stone, showing that their collaboration was only just beginning.
This film marked a departure from Stone’s previous roles as she traded her signature charm for something darker, crafting a character both sympathetic and ruthless. Lanthimos’ dry humor and awkwardly intimate style pushed Stone to embrace a new acting approach, one where emotions are subdued, and performances feel purposefully awkward. Reflecting on the experience and Lanthimos’ theatrical approach to acting, Stone shared,
“It was confusing in the moment because we were doing these very theatrical parts. We were all holding hands and twisting around each other, walking backwards and not looking at each other. Dancing wildly. We’d read other characters’ lines. We got very goofy a lot of the time but by the end those six of us […] were so bonded and so comfortable with each other.”
Between the Features: Bleat (2022) and Short-Form Experiments
In 2022, Stone starred in Bleat, a short film directed by Lanthimos, further expanding their creative exploration beyond feature-length narratives. The film, shot entirely in black and white, was commissioned by the Greek National Opera and the NEON cultural organization. Bleat blends elements of silent cinema with surreal performance art, telling a strange, non-verbal story about love, death, and ritual.
Stone’s role in Bleat — which required her to perform with minimal dialogue — demonstrates her ability to communicate through gestures and presence alone. The short film’s eerie atmosphere and ambiguous narrative are quintessential Lanthimos, and Stone fully embraces the challenge. The project gave the duo the freedom to experiment in a format different from their feature films, proving their creative relationship thrives in any medium.
Poor Things (2023): A Leap into the Absurd
Stone and Lanthimos’ reunion in Poor Things took their partnership to new, surreal heights. This bizarre reimagining of the Frankenstein myth follows Bella Baxter, a resurrected woman navigating life with childlike wonder and adult curiosity.
Stone’s portrayal of Bella is both uninhibited and deeply empathetic. Through Bella’s journey of self-discovery, Stone navigates chaotic humor, sensuality, and vulnerability, delivering a fearless performance that feels tailor-made for Lanthimos’ world of the absurd. In Poor Things, Lanthimos gave Stone more creative freedom than ever — an artistic trust reflected not just in her performance but also in her co-producer credit. The film showcases a new chapter in their partnership, one that leans into physicality, unpredictability, and raw emotion.
Kinds of Kindness (2023): Exploring Madness and Control
Kinds of Kindness brings Stone and Lanthimos back together in a strange anthology film comprising three surreal stories. Each segment revolves around themes of control, identity, and obsession, blending dark humor with unsettling undertones. Stone stars alongside Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Jesse Plemons, portraying characters caught in bizarre scenarios that test the boundaries of reality.
This project showcases Lanthimos’ signature style — challenging social norms through absurd storytelling — while giving Stone the space to further explore eccentric roles. With its fragmented structure and disturbing twists, Kinds of Kindness is a testament to the creative trust between director and muse
A Partnership Built on Trust and Creative Freedom
At the core of Stone and Lanthimos’ collaboration is an unspoken trust. Lanthimos’ cinema thrives on unpredictability, and Stone’s willingness to embrace the unknown makes her an ideal creative partner. Where other actors might struggle with Lanthimos’ offbeat style, Stone flourishes, using humor and emotional depth to bring warmth to even the most bizarre narratives.
Their collaboration also signals a shift in Lanthimos’ storytelling. Earlier works like The Lobster (2015) and The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) were defined by bleakness and emotional detachment. However, with Stone, Lanthimos’ films have adopted a more playful, empathetic tone, balancing absurdity with moments of genuine emotion. This shift makes their partnership one of the most exciting developments in contemporary cinema.
Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are a creative match made in weird cinema. Their partnership defies easy categorization, blending absurdity with sincerity and humor with intensity. Whether through the sly manipulation of Abigail Hill, the unhinged curiosity of Bella Baxter, or the haunting beauty of Bleat, Stone’s performances have become an integral part of Lanthimos’ cinematic universe.
Together, they have crafted a body of work that is both unsettling and captivating, leaving audiences eager for more. In a film industry often dominated by formulaic storytelling, Stone and Lanthimos offer something refreshingly unpredictable. Their collaborations remind us that cinema’s most exciting moments often come from the places we least expect — and that weirdness, when done right, can be a thing of beauty.
Check out the book adaptations Emma Stone has starred in here!
Read about the latest updates on the film adaptation of My Year of Rest and Relaxation here!
