Reminiscent of the 80s films it draws inspiration from, Diablo Cody’s ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is a well-executed love letter to camp. Littered with new romantic elements and alternative music that characterised the decade whilst combining elements of horror and comedy that reflect the more niche films that came out at the time (think ‘Heathers’), the film follows an eccentric outsider turned murderer as she falls in love with a Victorian corpse.
Cody is no stranger to exploring the intricacies of teenage girls, first garnering attention in 2007 following the release of ‘Juno’, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. Her work since includes ‘Young Adult’, ‘Tully’ and ‘Jennifer’s Body’. Critics initially slated the latter but has since been recognised as a cult classic, striking an unignorable comparison to its successor, which has largely been considered a letdown among critics.
The Oscar-winning director utilises tropes in a way that both call back to the notorious character types of the 80s, ultimately spinning them on their heads. At first following The Breakfast Club’s break-down of the basketcase and the princess, the first through the film’s namesake, and the second through her peppy step-sister, Taffie, Cody ultimately has us rooting for who popular media has made us believe to be the mean girl. In Lisa, she creates a character who is so evil, so unlikable, the audience is forced to like them, heavily reminiscent of Jennifer who appeared on our screens over a decade ago.
The film sometimes fell short, with some moments in the narrative being poorly explained. The result, while largely enjoyable, was patchy at times; the protagonist’s initial obsession with the designated indie boy was quickly replaced with unfaltering loyalty for a zombie, but there was no real build-up to predict this outcome, and her rapid descent into madness wasn’t well explained in the narrative. Lisa was introduced as odd, but through the help of her step-sister it seemed she could at least be somewhat accepted, and following a sudden change of style, her popularity began to rise – yet, still, she favoured spending time with a zombie who never really seemed to offer any real companionship.
One thing that has to be said is the film did not take itself seriously and was mostly entertaining because of this. It’s hard to see this gaining traction in the same way the equally campy Jennifer’s Body has done since it was first released, and it’s even harder to imagine the piece garnering the title of a cult classic in years to come, but its nostalgic elements and over-the-top humour make it well worth the watch.