FRANKENSTEIN
(director/writer: Guillermo del Toro; screenwriter: based on the book Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley; cinematographer: Dan Laustsen; editor: Evan Schiff; music: Alexandre Desplat; cast: Oscar Isaac (Dr. Victor Frankenstein), Jacob Elordi (The Creature), Christoph Waltz (Harlander), Felix Kammerer (William Frankenstein), Lars Mikkelsen (Captain Anderson), David Bradley (Blind Man), Charles Dance (Leopold Frankenstein), Lauren Collins (Claire Frankenstein), Ralph Ineson (Professor Kempe), Christian Convery (Young Victor), Mia Goth (Elizabeth Lavenza); Runtime: 149; MPAA Rating: R; producers: J. Miles Dale, Scott Stuber, Guillermo del Toro; Netflix; 2025)
“Tries to make something new from something old.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The visionary Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“Nightmare Alley”/”The Shape of Water”) tries to make something new from something old, as he adapts his unique visionary interpretation of the 1818 Mary Shelley classic monster story “Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus.” It was filmed many times before (my favorite being the 1931 James Whale version starring Boris Karloff). Guillermo does it his own bombastic way with camp performances, splashy visuals, and lots of gore.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) is the egotistical, radical, anatomist who plays God to create the creature Frankenstein (Jacob Elordi) in his attempt to create a human. The creation turns out to be a physically imposing supernatural demon with few words and many gestures to communicate.
The film begins in 1857, in the frigid Arctic, where the Danish crew under Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) are on an expedition to the North Pole and their boat is stuck in the ice. Captain Anderson rescues the injured Victor Frankenstein lying while battered on the frozen ground and takes him aboard his ship. The Frankenstein creator tells his story while his creature creation goes on a rampage, tossing sailors around and crying out “It cannot Die” from bullets.”
We learn from Victor’s narration he left his unhappy home, vowing to overcome mortality by creating his Frankenstein. Victor narrates the tale from his POV, telling how in 1855, he studied to be a physician at the Royal College of Medicine like his abusive and loathsome medical doctor dad (Charles Dance). In a later part, the lonely creature, who craves companionship, will give us his side of the story, as he meets with Captain Anderson.
Victor’s rejected by his scientist colleagues for his unorthodox experiments, but the tortured artistic figure and pioneering scientist attracts the attention of his sinister arms dealer uncle, Harlander (Christoph Waltz), who finances the Frankenstein project, expecting in return some favors.
Questions linger as to who is the real monster, something that the filmmaker leaves up to the viewer.
It’s a curious film with emotional depth and psychological insights, but it fails to meet the director’s high expectations for his ‘dream project.’ Nevertheless, I found it a worthy artistic Frankenstein reboot.
It played at the Venice Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 9/12/2025 GRADE: B
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