
Poor Things
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$13 – 17MM V $34MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
0.40 – 0.48%
Script Score
0.01
Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos is based on the novel of Alasdair Gray. The story portrays the innate qualities of a child and the inherent awkwardness that arises when that child is growing up in the body of a woman.

1. The invisible plot structure of Poor Things
1A. The script of Poor Things borrows 91% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Duncan’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Both Circe and Duncan create a façade of godliness to take control of gullible victims.
Godwin’s quest is driven by the desire to protect & nurture. The quest borrows events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology. Both Demeter and Godwin fail to prevent their loved ones from getting lost.
Bella’s quest is driven by the desire to explore. The quest borrows events from the tale of Inanna in Sumerian mythology. Both Innana and Bella venture into unknown territory.
Bella’s quest is also driven by the desire for self-reliance. The quest borrows events from Daedalus’ tale in Greek mythology. Just as Daedalus flies out of King Minos’ prison, Bella escapes from General Alfie’s house.
Max does not have a quest.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 7,126
Tales interweaved
Demeter, Circe & Daedalus
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Poor Things' plot structure: $13-17MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Poor Things
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Poor Things uses 3 universal quests of Curiosity, Independence & Power. The quest of Family is sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Bella mirrors TWO quests, that of Curiosity & Independence. Duncan mirrors the quest of Power and Godwin mirrors the quest of Family.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Bella’s character borrows 13% events from the quest of Curiosity & 21% events from the quest of Independence. Duncan’s character borrows 14% events from the quest of Power. Godwin borrows 5% events from the quest of Family.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Poor Things’ quest interweaving score of 0.33 is below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Bella & Duncan:

2B. Box office revenue estimation of Poor Things
Poor Things’ plot structure reveals a disproportionate focus on developing Bella’s quest. However, the quest is made up of 2 universal quests that makes her character inconsistent.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.01
Audience appeal
0.40 – 0.48%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Poor Things
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Bella mirrors the universal quest for Curiosity
Bella’s desire for Curiosity stems from the need to explore & discover. The tale of Innana from Sumerian mythology is the universal quest for Curiosity.

Quest 2: Bella also mirrors the universal quest for Independence
Bella’s desire for Independence stems from the need to be self-reliant. The tale of Daedalus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Independence.

Quest 3: Duncan mirrors the universal quest for Power
Duncan’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.

3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
Poor Things’ plot structure is disjointed due to the inconsistency in Bella’s quest and the shallow quest of Godwin.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
Poor Things’ plot structure is a sub set of Mythosis Plot Structure # 7,126. It interweaves the tales of Demeter, Circe & Daedalus. Not borrowing events from Innana’s quest would have made for a compelling story.
Unlock the potential of Poor Things with Mythosis Plot Structure # 7,126
Tags: Circe, Demeter, Daedalus, Innana, Independence, Power, Curiosity, Family, Yorgos Lanthimos, Film4, Element Pictures, TSG Entertainment, Searchlight Pictures, 2023