Poor Things concludes with a striking image of liberation and retribution, as Bella Baxter settles into her rightful place at Godwin Baxter’s estate. Following the death of her creator and father figure, Godwin, Bella does not retreat into grief but instead embraces her future as a surgeon. The film’s final act sees her performing her first experiment: transplanting the brain of a goat into the body of the tyrannical Alfie Blessington. This act serves as the ultimate repudiation of the controlling forces she has faced throughout the story. By literally turning the man who sought to imprison her into a harmless animal, Bella asserts complete dominance over her own narrative, transforming a symbol of oppression into a subject of her scientific curiosity.
The path to this ending is defined by Bella's rejection of the men who attempt to claim ownership over her. While her decision to leave Max at the altar might seem impulsive, it is driven by a desperate need for truth regarding her past life as Victoria. Discovering that Victoria was trapped in an abusive marriage with Alfie—and that suicide was her only escape—Bella realizes she has been given a second chance at existence. She refuses to let Duncan Wedderburn’s possessiveness or Alfie’s brutality dictate her life. Unlike the tragic figure of Victoria, Bella possesses the agency to shoot Alfie and drag him home, effectively reversing the power dynamic. Her choice to surgically alter him isn't just punishment; it is a final severing of ties with the toxicity that defined Victoria's life.
Ultimately, the ending subverts the traditional Frankenstein tropes that permeate the film's setup. Rather than a monster fleeing her creator, Bella evolves into the creator herself. She takes over Godwin’s practice, finding purpose in healing and furthering scientific understanding, surrounded by a chosen family that includes Max, Felicity, and Toinette. This "happy ending" is significant because it prioritizes Bella's intellectual and personal growth over traditional romantic resolution. It confirms that her journey was never about finding the right husband, but about constructing a selfhood that is entirely her own. By closing the film with a goat-brained Alfie wandering the estate grounds, Poor Things delivers a final, darkly humorous thesis: true freedom comes not from fitting into the world as it is, but from ruthlessly reshaping it to fit one's own needs.
