Despite Poor Things’ critical acclaim, one of its biggest stars was severely underutilized, and a great Netflix series from 3 years ago proves it.

Although Poor Things enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, it wasted a perfectly good actress, as seen by her commanding work in a successful Netflix miniseries. With the news of Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos already working on his next movie, there’s a good chance the filmmaker will be able to make up for underutilizing one of Poor Things‘ biggest stars. While the 2023 gothic drama depicts women in roles that challenge and redefine their usual portrayals in cinema, Lanthimos’s next film will certainly benefit from providing each of its actresses with more screen time.

Among the many things Poor Things excels in, one of its biggest strengths lies in Lanthimos’s direction of each of the film’s actors and actresses.

With Poor Things now available to stream, even more people will have an opportunity to engage with the film’s themes, filmmaking prowess, and powerhouse performance that won Emma Stone the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 2024 Oscars. Among the many things Poor Things excels in, one of its biggest strengths lies in Lanthimos’s direction of each of the film’s actors and actresses. However, a great performance from a previous Netflix miniseries from three years ago highlights one of the Oscar-winning films’ biggest mistakes.

Poor Things’ Black & White Vs. Color Scenes Explained: Why They Change & What They Mean

Poor Things makes use of scenes shot in black and white as well as those shot in vibrant color, and there’s a clever meaning behind the technique.Maid Proves Margaret Qualley Should Have Had A Much Bigger Role In Poor Things

Qualley plays a single-mother struggling to provide for her young daughter in Maid.

Margaret Qualley’s starring role in the 2021 Netflix miniseries, Maid, sees her as Alex Russell, a woman who decides to take her two-year-old daughter and leave an abusive relationship while working as a maid to support the two of them. Qualley’s range and believability in her role garnered her critical plaudits while also demonstrating why she’s one of the industry’s top rising stars. In addition to her work in Maid, Qualley also delivered memorable performances in The Nice Guys, The Leftovers, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which would suggest she would have more prominence in Poor Things.

Given the critical acclaim of her work in Maid , and Qualley’s casting in the new Lanthimos film, she might have a larger role than in Poor Things .

However, Qualley isn’t introduced until around the halfway mark of the film, and most of the work consists of her imitating a baby and a toddler, similar to what Stone was seen doing throughout the film’s earlier moments. With such a late introduction into the film, Qualley’s role in Poor Things clocks in at just a little over two minutes, effectively leaving her with very little to do. Given the critical acclaim of her work in Maid, and Qualley’s casting in the new Lanthimos film, she might have a larger role than in Poor Things.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Next Movie Will Make Up For Poor Things’ Margaret Qualley Error

Kinds of Kindness will reunite Qualley with Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and Willem Dafoe.

Lanthimos’s next film, Kinds of Kindness, is slated to see the director reunite with Qualley along with Stone and Willem Dafoe. While little has been revealed about the upcoming film, set photos indicate that Qualley will have a much bigger role in the upcoming dramedy than she did in Poor Things. With a cast consisting of Qualley, Stone, Dafoe, Jesse Plemmons, and Hong Chau, and Lanthimos’s visionary directing once again on display, Qualley might be able to make up for her criminally small role in Poor Things.