A tale as old as time, or at least society, is Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”
The 1818 novel has been rewritten, turned into a motion picture, remade and remade again; most recently in 2025 under the puppeteering of critically acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro.
For the uninitiated, “Frankenstein” is a story about a bright young scientist who creates life by stitching together body parts from various corpses and fresh graves.
Oscar Isaac plays brilliant Victor Frankenstein in this rendition and does an absolutely bang-up job. He balances the multitude of emotions the doctor experiences like a true regretful egomaniac. Additionally, Isaac conveys Frankenstein’s grief in a tangible way that invites sympathy, which is a key element in developing the story.
The monster himself is heartbreakingly portrayed by Jacob Elordi. It cannot, however, be denied that an intense, unfounded personal gripe against Elordi could impact your experience while watching this film.
For those of us holding this grudge, it might be time to let go. Elordi repeatedly emphasizes tragedy over monstrosity in beautiful displays of humanity from the monster, making the viewer realize neither Frankenstein nor his creation asked for this life.
Cinematographer Dan Lausten and production designer Guy Davis enhance the aforementioned moments with an incredible exploration of romantic goth style and environments.
This all sounds good and dandy thus far, but “Frankenstein” is by no means a masterpiece.
Del Toro’s visual complexity, while appealing and intriguing, overshadows the characters’ story as the audience attempts to capture his many obscure metaphors.
Folding directly into that is the severe underdevelopment of most supporting cast members, despite their proven ability, looking specifically at Mia Goth, by the way. Her character, Elizabeth, should feel meaningful, but alas, she’s sidelined for much of the film.
Finally, the movie is slow.
Sure, two and a half hours is nothing compared to some modern pictures, but there’s no reason you couldn’t be in and out in 90 minutes. The book itself hardly takes five hours to read.
So yes, by today’s standards, del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a good movie. However, it would hugely call into question the abilities of everyone involved if it weren’t – sorry, not sorry to “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (1994).
Between the source material and literal centuries of fan content, there is plenty of inspiration to draw and create from. Therefore, no reason in the world exists to make a film that is just good when it could be great.
