Frankenstein (2025)

You just learn to trust Guillermo del Toro.  He’s a born filmmaker whose creative mind can bring life to even the most shopworn enterprises.  A good example would be his version of Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN which, I might well have postured that I needed another retelling of this story like a need a hole in my head.  But, again, trust is a good thing.

Toro is a filmmaker with a creative edge.  Whatever questions or nitpicks you have, will usually be quelled by the director quietly asking you to be patient – all doubts will be quieted.  You may see it differently; that’s just my perspective.  If you know his work then you know that he spares no expense with his visuals – his FRANKENSTEIN is a breathtakingly gorgeous production – but he also gives just as much attention to his story.  One of the great things about this movie is that he takes the misshapen and down-right confusing narrative present in Shelley’s book and tightens it up into a story that has a lot of human feeling.  Yeah, its wrapped up in a lot of violence and drama and set decoration, but I will say that this movie has the kind of engagement with the characters that I wanted and missed in Roger Eggers NOSFERATU remake last year. 

Oscar Issac occupies the role of the mad doctor, and actor Jacob Elordi from the series “Euphoria” has the role of his creation, a role that offers a surprising amount of humanity.  I mean, it’s not a character study, but he’s allowed to give more of a performance than just howls and screaming.

I liked this movie a lot.  If I have one small issue, it may be that the monster in this movie is given superhuman strength, and the ability to regenerate and heal his wounds – basically Dr. Frankenstein has created his own version of The Incredible Hulk.  I think that’s an unwise decision – it may be part of Shelley’s book, I don’t remember – but his inability to die or to take wounds, I think pulls the rug out from under the themes of the fragility of humanity and the fallibility of the human body.  That aside, I will say that I was dazzled by this movie.  It is probably the most complete adaptation of this story that is likely ever to be made.  I enjoyed it.