From living statues to missing body parts, the 2024 film Lisa Frankenstein will take you on a wild journey through an ‘80s horror film lens. The story takes a twist on the original Frankenstein novel by Mary Shelley and follows quirky teenager Lisa Swallows as she embarks on a new journey after witnessing the gruesome death of her mother. Her father remarries a horrible woman. Overshadowed by her stepsister Taffy, Lisa spends a lot of her time alone, typically at the local cemetery. Here, Lisa befriends the statue of a young deceased man, who was struck and killed by a green bolt of lightning years prior. After Lisa attends a party-gone-wrong, she returns to the cemetery. Upset by the events at the party, Lisa confides in her favorite statue and expresses that she wishes she were with him. When Lisa leaves, a green bolt of lightning strikes the statue, bringing the man to life as a zombie.
Starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, Lisa Frankenstein explores a split-depiction of a gothic love story and an ‘80s horror film. The cast was definitely well-rounded, and I thought each role fit. I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘80s-film experience, which was also present during the previews before. It provided a comforting old-time atmosphere, and, as someone who’s favorite movies range from Dirty Dancing to Sixteen Candles, I really appreciated this classic experience. The cinematography was good, but I found that the film lacked the body-horror aspect I was expecting. It felt divided between the horror and love-story themes, which didn’t meld together very smoothly. There was a humorous aspect, which is something I always appreciate. The tacky humor added a fun aspect to the film that made it a lot more bearable for me to watch.
Though I thought the storyline was presented well, it felt very predictable. There was no point where I felt really intrigued by the film. Frankly, I was beginning to fall asleep towards the end. I, typically, look for films that will keep me interested the whole time but I struggled to stay engaged during the entire movie. There weren’t any real plot twists or surprises. I felt like the film was trying to accomplish so many genres and concepts at once that it ended up failing. I think that the film mainly lacked the attention-grabbing aspect that many viewers need in movies.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s aesthetic and comedy, the overall production and plot isn’t one of my favorites. I think more could’ve been added to provoke interest in the storyline. The film attempted to do a lot, and I think something that could’ve made it more interesting to me was focusing mainly on one genre, such as body-horror or love story, and centering the rest of the movie around that. I found that it felt like a somewhat divided film.