Since Mary Shelley released her novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” in 1818, the tale has received hundreds of adaptations, spanning from film to television to plays. The latest, “Frankenstein,” from director Guillermo del Toro, was released on Netflix Nov. 7.
Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” begins with a prologue that shows members of a Danish ship crew in the Arctic who find an injured man and take him aboard their ship. They quickly get ambushed by an immortal and mysterious figure. The injured man wakes, reveals his name to be Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and begins to tell his story.
Through Isaac’s narration, the viewer learns about Victor being abused by his father, and his mother being his only real companion. After his mother dies giving birth to his younger brother William (Felix Kammerer), Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of bringing the dead back to life. The film then shows Victor succeeding at this, with only Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) giving him the proper wealth and resources to create the Creature (Jacob Elordi).
Victor creates the Creature by utilizing a lightning storm and attaching electrical cords near the lymphatic system. The scene in which the Creature is created is a highlight of the film because it showcases the passion del Toro has, not just for the film nor the visuals, but for the characters themselves, as well as the novel by Shelley.
Once the Creature is created, the film brilliantly begins to tackle themes of generational trauma as the viewer watches Victor abuse the Creature similarly to how he is abused by his father at the beginning of the film. Some of the most memorable scenes in the film consist of Victor and the Creature getting to know one another and realizing that they will be the demise of one another.
After Victor attempts to kill the Creature, the film tells the rest of the story through the Creature’s perspective. The viewer watches the Creature as he learns to read and write, and as he learns that the world will never truly accept him for who he is. Elordi gives the performance of a lifetime as the Creature — a being who can never truly live, a being who can never fully die. The soul of the film, the best scenes consist of the Creature discovering the ways of the world, and discovering the ways the world views him.
Isaac, while trying his best as Victor, feels miscast. While the character is written to be a young and arrogant scientist whose creation of the Creature, which he considers “death,” consumes him whole, Issac’s appearance and demeanor suggests otherwise. In a scene where Victor is meant to be a young student showing an experiment, Isaac’s performance and appearance suggests that he is rather an egotistical professor belittling his students.
While none of the cast members give weak performances, Elordi’s performance overshadows the rest of the cast members’ talents. Mia Goth, playing both Victor’s mother Claire and Elizabeth Harlander — Henrich’s niece and the woman both Victor and the Creature lust after — feels underutilized and underwritten. Goth plays both roles due to the maternal aspects, specifically to Victor, of both characters. Goth, known for her rapturous roles in horror films like “Pearl” (2022), plays two quiet and understated characters, leaving the viewer confused as to if there was supposed to be something more from the performances presented. The rest of the ensemble consists of Christoph Waltz and Felix Kammerer, who are not given much to work with in their minimal screentime.
Director del Toro is known for his fantastical visuals, focusing more on the beauty of the fairy tales rather than the ugly reality of life. Some of his works that demonstrate this include “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), “Crimson Peak” (2015), “The Shape of Water” (2017), “Nightmare Alley” (2021), “Pinocchio” (2022) and more. Del Toro’s adaptation of “Frankenstein” feels like the culmination of his career because he combines gothic and fantastical themes and visuals to create a memorable experience.
One of the highlights of the film is the incredible visuals. In every scene, it is easy to pick out beautiful set pieces that fit perfectly into place with del Toro’s fantasy. The costumes of the film are also breathtaking, specifically the dresses worn by both of Goth’s characters. The makeup is also incredibly stunning, with Elordi looking unrecognizable as the Creature.
The score, while brilliantly composed by Alexandre Desplat, feels misplaced in moments of the film. For example, in a horrific scene where the Creature is almost killed, the score is light and mythical, contrasting the visuals in a confusing manner.
Del Toro also wrote the script for the film. While ambitious, the writing is one of the weakest aspects of the film. By attempting to show this grand story over the course of two and a half hours, the film’s pacing stammers at points in the film; while Victor’s half of the film is dragged out and paced too slowly, limiting the amount we learn from the character, the Creature’s half of the film is too short and paced too quickly, leaving the viewer wishing they could have seen and learned more about the character.
Overall, while del Toro’s “Frankenstein” has stunning visuals and Elordi’s extraordinary performance, the writing, pacing and miscasts diminish what could have been one of the best films of the year.
