Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein plays as a mirror to modern-day hubris. Very emotionally articulated, the film remains a stunning adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. The film is a smart autopsy of unchecked ambition in an era of tech gods. Shelley showcased the creature’s abandonment to expose societal failure in her 1818 novel; here, it is reframed.
The god-complex gets real. It escalates from the lab, and the catastrophe unfolds in under two hours. However, Isaac’s Victor starts magnetic, but goes into a cautionary selfie of narcissism. On the other hand, Goth’s Elizabeth is brilliant and kind, but the script parks her too soon.
The centre gets Jacob Elordi’s transformation as the creature. Dialogues remain minimal, he conveys innocence, alienation and escalating rage through physicality and expressive subtlety.
The film however celebrates Shelley’s timeline. However while the momentum gets hold, it also sacrifices the novel’s gradual accumulation of dread and relational nuance. We see the dilution of the novel’s core a bit, but it remains celebratory. However, it’s about getting inspired, and not making a first copy out of the novel.
Gothic horror gets accessible with this. It is a win for the design and performance. It honours Shelley’s architecture but reinterprets it for contemporary viewers. The transcendence gets into a downward spiral, a bit, but in 2025, to articulate the 1818 novel gets the triumphant call.
Watch it on Netflix.
IWMBuzz rates it 4/5 stars.
