FRANKENSTEIN MEETS ITS MAKER

We’ve finally gotten Guillermo Del Toro’s passion project, a mostly book accurate adaptation of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, but is it too late to matter?

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Starring: 

Oscar Isaac

Jacob Elordi

Mia Goth

Felix Kammerer

David Bradley

Lars Mikkelsen

Christian Convery

with Charles Dance

and Christoph Waltz

Based on the novel ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.’ 

by Mary Shelley

On Sunday I took a trip to the Manlius Art Cinema to see FRANKENSTEIN during its brief theatrical run, and was not disappointed. There was a party atmosphere as eager viewers lined up around the block to see something we never thought we’d get to enjoy. 

You see, Guillermo Del Toro’s had a couple of passion projects stewing for decades, in Frankenstein and At The Mountains of Madness. The hopes of us seeing either on the screen have been slim for the longest time. The latter will likely never get made, a result of the poorly made ALIEN VS. PREDATOR film from two decades ago. No one thought the former would see the light of day, that was until someone at NETFLIX threw a bunch of money at De Toro and told him to run with his ball. And he’s run a 100+ yard kick-off return to say the very least. This is very much Peter Jackson’s KING KONG in that it’s a love letter from the creator to the source material. And for as good as it is, like Jackson’s KONG, Del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN is not without its flaws. When you are as close to the material as those creators were, you can’t help but some of your own flourish into it. Jackson did it by adding more dinosaurs, and outside of a few minor narrative changes, Del Toro does it by adding more Monster.

Del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN is a visual feast, much like last year’s Robert Egger’s gothic device, NOSFERATU. They’re both epic adaptations of classic horror material, the two pieces that have influenced most all horror fiction to follow, be it on the page or the screen. They’re both gorgeous to behold, with richness and a depth many films fail to achieve. The big difference between the two? One puts you to sleep, and the other keeps you awake. This is because FRANKENSTEIN is everything NOSFERATU tried to be, but ultimately failed at achieving.

The closest we’ve come to a faithful adaptation was the 70s UK TV FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY, Kennethy Brannagh’s MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN not withstanding. Del Toro’s adaptation, however, captures the essence of all that’s come before it. For as faithful as it is to the source material, it still takes derivations from Shelly’s venerable tome, many of which are inspired by the film and stage adaptations. It’s also clear Bernie Wrightson’s beautiful adaptation was used to establish the film’s aesthetic.   

The movie nails all the beats you would expect: the family in need of aid, the old blind man, an auditorium filled with academics, the gothic castle, etc. The cast also stands out. Christoph Waltz is a joy as the silent benefactor of the experiments, a reimagined Igor, if you will. Mia Goth is perfect as Elizabeth, and much like she did in Ty West’s Maxxine trilogy, Mia does double duty playing both Elizabeth and Victor’s mother. Oscar Isaacs portrays Frankenstein, again, I mean it’s not the first time he’s played this mad scientist, so he should be a pro at it by now. The same character was a rich, brilliant recluse in EX MACHINA, and here’s where we run into the problems. 

The issues with adapting older IPs like FRANKENSTEIN is the IP itself.  It’s become so influential, any attempt to adapt it will appear to be derivative and a “rip off” of a recent film by modern audiences. We’ve seen this happen with LORD OF THE RINGS and with DUNE.  

The first act’s pacing is haphazard at best, and I found myself nodding off a little bit as we saw/heard Victor’s story. The second act, on the other hand, is a tour de force of style and substance, bringing us a Frankenstein’s Monster unlike any we’ve seen before. The monster is the heart of this story, and he’s brought to life by more than a mad scientist’s whims. Jacob Elordi breathes life into the creature, which likely takes inspiration from Benedict Cumberbatch’s recent stage play of the source material. But it’s also here where Del Toro takes liberties, introducing a regenerative healing factor… which is an odd addition and interpretation of the Creature’s condition. 

Making Elizabeth into his brother’s love interest instead of being Victor’s wife was also an odd choice. The character is malignly adapted in almost every iteration put on the screen, with the possible exception of THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Here she’s no different than before, underused, and it’s also here where Del Toro falls into the trap of embracing the other adaptations. FRANKENSTEIN, THE TRUE STORY is at the forefront more than the Universal’s Karloff vehicle. The North Pole, arctic imagery from the now almost 50 year old TV movie has haunted me for years, and it is present here in the movie’s literal cold open… and even colder climax.

After nearly half a century, though, we finally have a solid adaptation of Mary Shelley’s seminal piece of work, the ultimate blend of science fiction and horror, from which many new genres and sub genres of fiction have sprung from. Yes, this is the movie you want to pair with Bram Stoker’s Dracula for a double feature going on, and I—for one—am a happy camper as a result.

FRANKENSTEIN continues its theatrical run through Halloween, and debuts on NETFLIX on 11/7/25.

And, in case you didn’t already figure it out, FRANKENSTEIN is a solid addition to my 2025 Top 10! Now, I have shifted things a little, dependent on how the movie has continued to resonate with me, thus LIFE OF CHUCK flipping with THE LONG WALK, for example.

TOP 10 HORROR/THRILLER/DARK FANTASY GENRE FILMS OF 2025

1 SINNERS

2 FRANKENSTEIN

3 WEAPONS

4 BRING HER BACK

5 LIFE OF CHUCK

6 THE LONG WALK

7 28 YEARS LATER

8 THE MONKEY

9 COMPANION

10 PRESENCE

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.