GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S FRANKENSTEIN IS A HUMANIST TAKE ON THE CLASSIC HORROR NOVEL

 “Only monsters play God.”

This ain’t your daddy’s Frankenstein. In this latest adaptation, we follow the age old tale of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaacs), who decides to play God, creating a ‘miserable wretch’ (Jacob Elordi) in the process. Visionary director Guillermo del Toro takes the reins, not only directing but penning the screenplay as well. GDT brings his trademark warmth and empathy to the proceedings, for better and for worse.

This film was produced on a 120 million dollar budget, and it shows. The production design by Tamara Deverell (Nightmare Alley, Priscilla) is gorgeous. It’s close to ‘Crimson Peak’ quality. The cinematography is handled by Dan Laustsen (The Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley, Crimson Peak, John Wick: Chapter Two, The Color Purple 2023, John Wick: Chapter Four) and he does his usual superb job. It’s a shame that most will be watching this from the comfort of their living room, because there are some moments that are breath-taking on the big screen. 

The score is composed by Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, The Tree of Life, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Shape of Water). He does an excellent job. There are portions of score so majestic, so beautiful that you can’t help but be moved. The editing by Evan Schiff (John Wick: Chapter Two, Everly, Nobody, The Marvels) is quite competent. This movie runs at around two hours thirty, but feels much shorter than that. It rarely drags, though the third act feels more than a bit rushed. 

Christoph Waltz plays a new, original character named Henrich Harlander, the uncle of Elizabeth. He harbors shades of the novel’s M. Waldman. Waltz doesn’t serve much of a purpose, and really shouldn’t get lead billing. He’s in the film a good deal and definitely has a role to play, but isn’t as important as you would think.

Christian Convery plays Victor when he was a child. Convery could previously be seen as young Bill and Hal in The Monkey. He continues to impress, and his shift from bright and happy to dark and brooding is very effective. Mark my words, this kid is going places. 

William, the younger brother of Victor, is played by Felix Kammerer. William gets an upped role here, and is a mixture of the novel’s William Frankenstein and Henry Clerval. Felix is entertaining and likable in the role, bringing a much needed youthfulness to the proceedings. He winds up being more memorable than expected.

Mia Goth plays the dual roles of Victor’s mother and Elizabeth Harlander. This film’s Elizabeth is not the Elizabeth of the novel. She has a much different backstory, and a much different relation to Victor. She downright despises him, though he still harbors strong feelings towards her. Elizabeth is only like the Elizabeth of the novel in so much as both are the kindest characters in their respective stories. She doesn’t get much screen time.

Oscar Isaacs is Victor Frankenstein. This film’s Victor is very close to the novel’s, though I still say the 1931 film best captures the essence of the character. It’s appreciated that this adaptation doesn’t mince words about Victor being a villain, though it’s very un-subtle about it (Most of this film’s themes are handled in un-subtle ways). Here, Victor’s madness and insanity are shown through ego and Victor being a dick-head. There is no self-inflicted torment, and very little guilt or depression. 

In reality, GDT’s Frankenstein is more interested in The Creature than it is Victor Frankenstein. The Creature is played by Jacob Elordi (Saltburn, Euphoria, Priscilla). He fully disappears into his role. You forget that you’re watching him on screen. The Creature is what this film does best. This is the most accurate portrayal of the character we’ve gotten on film (though he doesn’t gain his luscious black locks until later).

GDT’s Frankenstein treats The Creature with much more kindness. In this movie, it’s more Victor than society who mistreats him. Most of The Creatures’ torment happens before he escapes from Victor’s temporary abode. The Creature is actually given a friend later on in the form of an old blind man (David Bradley), who goes unnamed here. This blind man has a more significant role to play compared to the novel’s old Mr. Delacey, whom he is based on. Treating The Creature in this manner is an understandable change, but the decision robs the character and the commentary about ‘The Other’ of much of their weight and power. 

All this being said, Elordi really does up his game for the movie. His facial/body acting is every bit as impressive as is the range of emotion he’s able to convey with just his eyes. He perfectly embodies the wretch/creature of the novel. Don’t be surprised if watching him makes you shed a few tears. Elordi’s portrayal is bested only by that of Boris Karloff. Expect him to get a best supporting actor nomination, maybe even a best actor nomination instead.

Now, for the big question: How does GDT’s Frankenstein fare as an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece? Unfortunately, this is a flawed adaptation. It retains many of the same beats from the novel (A captain’s vessel becomes trapped in the arctic where he rescues a dying Victor who tells him his story, Victor loses mother, Victor becomes obsessed with playing God, Victor creates The Wretch, The Wretch flees, The Wretch winds up at Delacey cottage, something terrible happens, The Wretch flees, The Wretch is angry at Victor, The Wretch begs Victor to make him a companion and Victor refuses, The Wretch swears vengeance, Elizabeth is killed, Victor chases after The Wretch, The Wretch winds up on the captain’s ship), but uses these to craft a film that is wholly GDT’s unique vision. In this way, GDT is surprisingly and unexpectedly pulling a James Whale (though the 1931 version remains superior). This is a movie that refuses to be beholden to its source material. 

GDT’s Frankenstein works best as its own thing than it does as an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece. If you want to watch the novel, stick with Kenneth Branagh’s version. This newest iteration, by shaking things up, takes a familiar tale and breathes new, invigorating life into it. This isn’t Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein, or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or Frank Darabont’s Frankenstein, or even James Whale’s Frankenstein… this is Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein. It values compassion and empathy above all else, and is wholly and uniquely GDT’s own vision.

4 STARS