Frankenstein Movie Review (2025)
A gorgeous film full of texture, wonder, and depth, Frankenstein, the classic story with a few twists, is truly one that you can’t miss.
Frankenstein is one of those characters that has always been in the ether. Being alive today means never having lived in a world without the creator and his monster (as the book was written in 1818), and their tale has been spun all sorts of ways – on film, in media, and on Halloween.
There are specific plot points that (almost?) every version of Frankenstein has. The death of Victor’s mother, the creation of the monster, the separation period of creator and monster (during which, the monster learns and befriends a blind man), and the death of Elizabeth. There may be a few more, but these are some of the heavies. And while these are all included in this film, there are some fascinating differences.
Frankenstein is about Victor Frankenstein, a son who has a loving adolescent relationship with his mother. When she dies during the birthing process, he is stuck with his abusive father (a doctor) and new baby brother, William. Victor’s quest becomes conquering death. He is later able to demonstrate a prototype for sparking life and he quickly takes on a financial backer for his cause. Moving into a tower for space and research, he meets and becomes enamored with Elizabeth, his brother’s fiancé. From here, the monster is created and things do not go smoothly.
There are some large changes to this version of the story, most of which I won’t mention, because I highly suggest you see the movie and discover them for yourself. But the biggest one is the relationship between Victor and his father. Victor’s father is a harsh man who is never warm with Victor. When Victor creates his monster, he is never kind or gentle with him either. It’s a dichotomy that works brilliantly, as Victor has never been taught how to be a father, so he can’t begin to know what that looks like. The monster belongs to him and is his creation, just as Victor “belonged to” his father and was his creation.
Guillermo del Toro did genius work with this film. The lush vibrant colors and textures mostly come through the women and the lighting as they work their way around the darkness of the entire film – both literally and figuratively. Victor’s mother wears bright red with a tremendous veil moving in the wind, while everyone else is in white or dark. Elizabeth is always brightly colored in blues, greens, or purples, and is often adorned with feather headpieces or other stark, but absolutely lovely textures and hues.
The actors are tremendous, with Oscar Isaac’s Victor slowly going mad and Jacob Elordi’s monster trying to learn his surroundings. I have never been a big fan of Elordi, but this film shows his acting chops well, so good for him.
The score is amazing, at times reminding me of the opening number of the “Carousel Waltz” from Carousel. It is uplifting and magnificent.
It is tough to pick a favorite thing about this version of Frankenstein, but the way the monster looks is certainly among my top choices. Instead of the stitched green man that we have all come to know, this monster looks as if he has been built out of marble and covered with clay. It is an exceptional visual that I could not stop looking at. He is clean and pieced together beautifully, and it is only after the negativity of the world has begun to impose on him that he develops any injuries.
I did not expect to feel about this movie the way that I do, so I highly encourage you to watch it. I thought that I would enjoy Frankenstein, but I cannot stop thinking about it. It is beautiful in so many complex ways, I don’t know how del Toro could have possibly made it better.
Runtime: 149 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English, a little Danish and a little French
Should You Watch It? Yes, definitely
Did I Cry? I got choked up
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix
