The Bride! is a cutting-edge film that adds a feminist twist to the age-old tale of Frankenstein and his bride. After the release of Netflix’s Frankenstein, a film that offered little to no female voice on matters of the heart involving a woman, The Bride! is a refreshing take on a well-loved story. The original Bride of Frankenstein was released as a horror movie and did very well for its time. However, The Bride! was marketed as more of a feminist “Bonnie and Clyde” style story full of adventure and a strong theme of powerful female characters.
The original
The 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, depicts Dr. Pretorius forcing Henry Frankenstein to create a companion for the monster, who had become extremely lonely. This film became one of the most celebrated Gothic horror films at the time. The Bride of Frankenstein is easily recognizable to many, thanks to her iconic ghostly appearance and electroshock hairdo. Elsa Lanchester gave an incredible performance as both The Bride and Mary Shelley. In this earlier film, the monster has just escaped the burning windmill and is seeking a normal life. Dr. Pretorius appears to Henry Frankenstein, who has decided to abandon his experiments in shame. Pretorius convinces Henry to create a mate for the monster, but when The Bride sees the monster, she is horrified and rejects him. The monster ultimately destroys the laboratory and kills himself, The Bride, and Dr. Pretorius.
‘The Bride!’ 2026
The Bride! (2026) recently dropped in theaters, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. This rebellious Gothic horror romance allows for a powerful spin on the story of the Bride of Frankenstein. Set in 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein’s monster, Frank, feels lonely, much like the original monster, and craves companionship and love. Unlike the 1935 version, this Frank is entirely verbal and able to express what he wants, whereas the monster from the original communicates primarily in short, sometimes one-word sentences.
Frank seeks out Dr. Euphoronius, a woman who is, at first, reluctant but is eventually convinced to create a bride for Frank. The two of them together dig up a corpse and end up resurrecting a woman named Ida, who in her life was murdered by a mobster. Ida, however, wakes up with no memories, which puts her on edge and leads to a web of lies about her past. Frank jumps on this opportunity to lie and convinces Ida that she was already his wife, named Penelope, and that she suffered memory loss from a terrible accident. She is weary and temperamental from the start, but reluctantly believes him.
As the movie goes on, she is a chaotic and disobedient wife, a certain free spirit shining through. Though she has no memories, she can hear the spirit of Mary Shelley in her head telling her that something is not right, causing further confusion.
Feminist themes and parallels
Ida’s raging personality and her distaste for order spark a small rebellion among women, encouraging them to be unapologetically wild in a time when women were expected to be seen and not heard. Ida’s face, when being revived, ends up covered in black splotches, which are later recreated by her fans. Ida and Frank end up on the run after killing a man for repeatedly advancing on Ida after she said no multiple times and getting violent with her. The news report on this incident resulted in women splotching their faces and rising against those who oppressed them, just like Ida.
Giving Ida a name and a powerful story rather than just letting her be an unnamed bride reinforced the film’s feminist message, encouraging the wild, carefree nature of its powerful female characters. Alongside Ida, another powerful female character in this film was Myrna Mallow, the key investigator in Ida’s case, who was constantly overshadowed by her male coworker, Jake Wiles, who did next to nothing on each case they worked together, all credit being awarded to him. She ultimately decides and ensures that Ida and Frank are not killed, taking a special interest in their case and successfully tracking them down. In the end, it is three powerful women, Mary Shelley, Myrna Mallow, and Dr. Euphoronius, who reanimate Ida and allow her to live how she wants to live, or at least try.
The ghost of Mary Shelley
Other than Ida and Myrna, the film featured the ghost of Mary Shelley, the original author of Frankenstein. She was included in the movie with the idea that she had much more to say about the Bride of Frankenstein than she was able to write when she was alive. She appeared extremely angry and refused to be silenced by her death, using Ida as a way to get her voice out.
Every time Ida wanted to give up and let the men have their way, Mary would rage in Ida’s mind and lecture her on the importance of finding her purpose and not allowing them to put her in a box. Mary Shelley’s spirit was continuously angry at the state of the world and how women were being treated. She so desperately wanted the women to stand up and do something about their continued oppression, and through Ida, she was able to achieve this as Ida’s killing spree started a rebellion against men.
The Bride! truly gives a voice to the women in the story, allowing them a second chance after the original Bride of Frankenstein silenced them. As the men in The Bride! attempt to quiet or kill off the powerful female characters, they prevail and finally receive the ending they deserve. Mary Shelley, having finally gotten her words out and sparked a rebellion, can finally rest in peace.