On Nov. 7 Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein was released on Netflix and select theaters throughout the country. The film was given a very minimal theatrical release in mid-October, following its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, in which few theaters in select cities held screenings in 35mm. This is del Toro’s first directorial release since Pinocchio which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2023.
Frankenstein stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as “The Creature,” and Mia Goth as Elizabeth Harlander (Lavenza, in the source material). In addition to her primary role, Goth also appears in makeup and prosthetics as Victor’s mother, Claire. When the casting was first announced, I was a little taken aback that Elordi was playing “The Creature,” considering his string of past roles as heartthrob romantic leads, but he did not disappoint. He did a wonderful job of capturing all the initial innocence and later agony of Mary Shelley’s original character.
The film moves away from Shelley’s source material quite a bit, but it was incredibly tasteful and I feel that it worked well for the shift in medium. The film starts off on an iceberg, as does the novel, but in the film it is action packed from the beginning with The Creature in a rageful pursuit of a sickly Victor, who has been taken in by the crew of a navy ship. The ship’s captain asks Victor, “What manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?” and thus begins part one, “Victor’s Tale.” During this we see the story through his eyes, from the conception of his goal to overcome death, to his early demonstrations of human galvanism, and finally to the creation and attempted destruction of The Creature. In this time he also meets Elizabeth, his brother’s fiancée, and falls madly in love. Elizabeth is essentially portrayed as a manic pixie dream girl of gothic Europe, perhaps akin to Shelley herself.
The Creature gets to tell his side of the story in part two, after he fights his way onto the ship and finds Victor. He tells his tale to the captain, which begins when he escapes Victor’s abuse and follows his journey up to the point where he is sitting and recounting it. During most of this time, he resided in a shed belonging to a family in an alpine village. He watched their behavior closely and learned to speak. He quietly did tasks to help the family during the difficult winter, and in exchange they left him clothes and food, and eventually the patriarch taught him to read. This part of the story is incredibly beautiful, and it is at this point that Elordi’s acting skills begin to shine. Without revealing too much, this chapter of his life ends very tragically in a way that departs from the book significantly. After leaving the village he decides he must confront his creator, the person who began his torturous existence, and sets off on a journey to hunt Victor down.
True to del Toro’s directing style, this film is visually stunning from start to finish. The sets are dark and grandiose, capturing the feeling of both the book and the earlier film adaptations. The lighting design immerses the audience in this world, using the illusion of natural lighting in indoor spaces, reminding us of the lack of indoor electricity. Every costume was intricate and gave insight to each character: Victor’s haphazard shirts, The Creature’s layered scraps, and Elizabeth’s insectoid gowns and headdresses. I would be completely remiss if I did not mention the unreal prosthetics used to transform Elordi into the Creature, they were so detailed and realistic and succeeded in making him appear dead and alive at the same time. Of course, the pivotal point of this story is when Victor brings his idea to life, and the scenes of him creating The Creature are probably the most beautifully done display of body horror I have ever seen. Grotesque, of course, but intentional; you can see Victor’s passion for his work through the shots of him tactfully placing an eyeball or fastening a tendon.
Overall, Frankenstein (2025) is an absolute testament to del Toro’s filmmaking prowess. As someone who has read Shelley’s famous novel time and time again, I felt this film truly captured the essence of Frankenstein, more so than previous adaptations, despite its divergence from the original story. I foresee this film being on the list of Academy Award Nominations, especially for categories like best director, visual effects, and makeup and hairstyling. While this movie is probably not for everyone due to its graphic nature, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror films, gothic literature, or anything that will both make you cry and have your stomach turning. It is currently available on Netflix, so you can watch from the comfort of your own home, and don’t forget to catch the companion feature Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson for an inside look at the film.