Frankenstein (2025)

 

Guillermo del Toro is a man who loves his creepy creatures, so it should come as no surprise that back in 2010 he described Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as his favorite novel in the world. Over the years he has mentioned the book numerous times, citing it as his dream project, but dreams can be scary in a way. In his own words,  

 

“Frankenstein to me is the pinnacle of everything, and part of me wants to do a version of it; part of me has for more than 25 years chickened out of making it. I dream I can make the greatest Frankenstein ever, but then if you make it, you've made it. Whether it's great or not, it's done. You cannot dream about it anymore. That's the tragedy of a filmmaker. You landed a 10 or you landed a 6.5 but you were at the Olympics already, and you were judged.” 

 

I honestly don't know if del Toro’s Frankenstein is a 10 out of 10. Having not seen the 1931 Boris Karloff classic yet (it’s on my list) I can’t even say for sure whether or not it is the quintessential adaptation of everyone’s favorite corpse quilt and his overwhelmed single father. It is certain, however, that everyone involved in these metaphorical Olympics can go home being proud of what they’ve created, even if Victor isn’t.  

It has been a while since I have read the original novel, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of del Toro’s creation (I don’t think the Creature originally had Wolverine-like healing powers?), but all the important bits seem to be there—the God metaphors, the daddy issues, the existential questions of life, death, and the nature of the soul; furthermore, there isn’t an Igor to be seen anywhere. Frankenstein is a symphony of themes that plays beautifully, each note pitch perfect thanks to career-best performances from Oscar Isaac (Victor Frankenstein), Jacob Elordi (the Creature), and their supporting cast, as well as a script penned by del Toro himself that flows like poetry. The film looks gorgeous as well, with practical sets, sweeping shots, and vibrant colors that stand in stark juxtaposition to the unflinching gore and viscera that the story requires. The CGI in Frankenstein, on the rare instances where it is utilized, doesn’t look that great, so I am particularly glad that del Toro chose practical sets and effects whenever possible.  

I cannot say enough good things about the production design in this film. Shelley’s original work is one of the first stories that comes to mind when one hears the phrase “Gothic literature,” and the sets, creature design, and costumes in Frankenstein all evoke this heritage to a T. It is also all singularly del Toro, proving that this really was a project that he was born to do. Whether it is truly a 10/10 I can’t say yet, but it is definitely up there.  

Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.