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Synopsis: “A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a monstrous creature to life in a daring experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.”

Mary Shelley is the mother of horror, and there’s really no room to disagree here, sorry! Her novel Frankenstein has gone on to inspire the most morbid and thoughtful minds, leading to countless iterations and retellings of her classic work. From direct adaptations like Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—a treat for anyone who wants to see Branagh shirtless and oiled up—to Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, which earned Emma Stone many accolades. But none have truly captured the Gothic yearning and morbid sensuality like Del Toro’s adaptation, simply titled Frankenstein.

Del Toro not only directs Frankenstein but adapted Shelley’s novel himself to fit the film he has been destined to make his entire career. There’s no denying that creatures and monsters alike have been a constant within his filmography—from Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade II, and even Crimson Peak—he has an inclination toward the macabre. It’s no coincidence that Frankenstein is the culmination of his deep love of horror and his capability to transport the audience into new worlds.

The film is broken down into labeled sections that focus first on Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). Frankenstein opens with a wintry landscape where a crew of seamen are stranded as their boat is stuck in ice. An injured and withered Victor finds himself on board, hidden away in the captain’s quarters after The Creature (Jacob Elordi) attempts to retrieve his maker. Each part is narrated by the subject of that section. Victor begins to tell the tale of his life—from childhood to reanimating life.

As Victor recounts his troubled life as a child, Del Toro focuses on moments that shaped a young Victor in unshakable ways. The deep connection with his mother, Claire Frankenstein (Mia Goth), whose untimely death during the birth of his brother William Frankenstein (Felix Kammerer), marks a change in Victor’s life that forever alters him. His father, Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance), has only ever shown him frigid coldness. Although Victor learns the ins and outs of the human body from his harsh and often abusive teachings, Victor also learns how to be a father from him. His father favors William over Victor—even down to their appearances, the boys are polar opposites. Victor has olive skin, dark hair, and a penchant for melancholy. William resembles his father—bright hair and complexion—and he’s adored by all who meet him.

The tumultuous journey for Victor to reanimate life is the turning point in Frankenstein that ignites the film’s runtime. It’s not until The Creature takes his first breaths that the film finds solid footing. Elordi brings this iconic character to life in a kind, cautious, and endearing way—capturing the inner torture of not knowing where you came from, how you came to be, and why this burden of immortality chose him. His section—especially the moments where he’s hidden away in the home of the Blind Man (David Bradley), learning to become human through books and long fireside chats with a man who holds no fear or prejudice over an appearance he cannot see—is deeply moving. Elordi has a stunning physicality that he uses to be imposing and intimidating when needed, but helpful and kind to those who treat him justly.

What Del Toro does with Elizabeth Harlander (also Mia Goth) is nothing short of wonderful. She’s multilayered beyond expectation—intelligent with her interest in science, specifically bugs, while also challenging the men in her life through thought-provoking conversations, especially with Victor. Goth playing a dual role adds to Victor’s attraction to Elizabeth, and while both get to know one another, their infatuation evolves in differing ways. Her connection with The Creature serves the film’s sense of yearning, and although it’s different from the yearning between creator and creature with Victor and The Creature, it is the film’s tender, beating heart. Del Toro gives those of us who feel a deep-rooted attraction to monster films plenty to chew on.

The cast is tremendous in Frankenstein—smaller characters still make a lasting impact with their performances, even with the film’s 2 hour and 29 minute runtime. Dance looms over Isaac’s performance for the entirety of the film, with Victor often reflecting on how he learned to be a man. Heinrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), and even Professor Krempe (Ralph Ineson), both leave lasting impressions, and their implications with Victor’s research don’t go unnoticed. But it’s Isaac and Elordi’s work that makes this version of Frankenstein shine. They capture a father-and-son relationship that is filled with repulsion at every avenue, but still holds a love that pulls them together magnetically. They share the film’s most emotional moments—seeped in resentment and anger. Victor views his newly reborn son as a failure, while The Creature feels loyalty to his father.

Outside of the captivating script and performances, it wouldn’t be a Del Toro film without some absolutely stunning gothic—and often romantic—costuming, production design, and makeup. From the very start, the audience is transported into the world Shelley carefully crafted, and with Kate Hawley’s costume designs, each piece of clothing has a story. From the bright red flowing gown of Claire’s head-to-toe look as she holds dear to her son, to the mangled fabric adorning The Creature’s body, her work is filled with colors and shapes that pop against an often dreary and dark set.

Victor’s childhood home holds the best set piece in the film, with angelic statues that become beacons to Victor’s pleas, and cinematographer Dan Laustsen captures the scale and grandeur of this world well. A round of applause has to go to the makeup team led by Mike Hill, where over 40 individual pieces of silicone were added to Elordi—a grueling task to sit through, but a final design that leans more into the undead than gimmicky. It makes The Creature look like a fleshy patchwork quilt, matching the decaying colors referenced in Shelley’s work. It allows Elordi to do most of his acting with his eyes while still being grotesquely gorgeous.

Frankenstein is the film that Del Toro was meant to make, and it can be seen in every single aspect of the film. It’s a treat to witness one of the most talented filmmakers today still putting out passion projects that are a celebration of their work.

Rating: 4.5/5

For those without an avaible screening near you, November 7th is the date that Frankenstein hits Netflix.

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