'Not the most pleasant thing': Yorgos Lanthimos thinks his films should be classed as more than absurdist

Yorgos Lanthimos hopes that his films are considered more than just absurdist.

The 50-year-old director is known for surreal movies including 'The Lobster' and 'Poor Things' but would prefer for audiences not to box his work "into one thing".

Speaking at an interview organised by the British Film Institute (BFI) in London on Wednesday (31.01.24), Yorgos said: "It's always not the most pleasant thing to just be boxed into one thing. I guess there is some kind of absurdity in the films, but I hope they're more complex than that.

"I understand why people have the need to describe it a certain way or make sense of it by using language. But the thing is, the trouble is language is not always sufficient for any kind of work of art."

The Greek filmmaker's latest picture 'Poor Things' has been critically acclaimed and is up for 11 prizes at the Academy Awards next month, with Lanthimos revealing how he was thrilled to collaborate with Emma Stone once again as she plays the part of Bella Baxter.

He recalled: "We got to know each other really well, even before making 'The Favourite', because we started discussing it a couple of years before, and it took some time to get made. So we became friends during that time.

"Then when we actually had the working experience, it was just obvious that we got along and we like working together."

Yorgos added: "She immediately jumped on 'Poor Things' as soon as she heard the story... And the rest is history."

The filmmaker is known for his unique approach to preparation work and explained how he creates games for stars to get comfortable during a production.

Yorgos said: "I come up with games for the actors to get to know each other and feel comfortable to make a fool of themselves and make the process light and fun.

"We shouldn't be taking things too seriously. We are making movies."