Guillermo del Toro finally dropped his Frankenstein movie, and wow, it’s the visually epic, gut-wrenching film we have been expecting from him all along. Forget what you think you know about the monster movie genre; this is pure tragedy, diving deep into themes of abandonment, ego, and what it actually means to be human.
First off, the movie just looks insane. Every single frame is packed with del Toro’s signature Gothic vibe, thanks to cinematographer Dan Laustsen. It’s a visual feast, loaded with intense details—think cool, dark sets and the pop of red in the costumes that hints at Victor’s messed-up history. Del Toro uses minimal CGI and his practical effects for the Creature are stellar. Jacob Elordi is physically huge and imposing, but the Creature’s design and performance are surprisingly sensitive, giving the film a real, tangible quality.
The cast is ridiculous. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein? He’s amazing—totally selling the character as this brilliant but fragile guy with a massive ego. He turns Victor into this genuinely tragic jerk with serious daddy issues. But the real star is Elordi as the Creature. Everyone loves him. He plays the monster with this devastating, almost childlike vulnerability. You can’t help but feel awful when society rejects him and he starts his heartbreaking descent.
Narratively, del Toro stays pretty loyal to the book, even keeping the Arctic framing story and, crucially, giving the Creature his own voice to tell his story. It runs for nearly two and a half hours, but honestly, you won’t care much because it nails the core themes of trauma and the chance for forgiveness.
First off, the movie just looks insane. Every single frame is packed with del Toro’s signature Gothic vibe, thanks to cinematographer Dan Laustsen. It’s a visual feast, loaded with intense details—think cool, dark sets and the pop of red in the costumes that hints at Victor’s messed-up history. Del Toro uses minimal CGI and his practical effects for the Creature are stellar. Jacob Elordi is physically huge and imposing, but the Creature’s design and performance are surprisingly sensitive, giving the film a real, tangible quality.
The cast is ridiculous. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein? He’s amazing—totally selling the character as this brilliant but fragile guy with a massive ego. He turns Victor into this genuinely tragic jerk with serious daddy issues. But the real star is Elordi as the Creature. Everyone loves him. He plays the monster with this devastating, almost childlike vulnerability. You can’t help but feel awful when society rejects him and he starts his heartbreaking descent.
Narratively, del Toro stays pretty loyal to the book, even keeping the Arctic framing story and, crucially, giving the Creature his own voice to tell his story. It runs for nearly two and a half hours, but honestly, you won’t care much because it nails the core themes of trauma and the chance for forgiveness.
Guillermo del Toro
The Creature
True to Source Material
Music
Summary
It’s an immersive, beautiful, and emotionally devastating experience that immediately puts itself as the definitive Frankenstein adaptation so far
