If there was ever a director perfectly made to take on tales of monsters, it’s Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water”). A long and illustrious career spanning horror and drama films to animated adventure flicks has led to this, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel and the original science fiction tale. If del Toro’s own words are anything to go by, he’s been trying to get this film made in some fashion since 2007. Now, with a massive budget courtesy of Netflix and a completely game cast, del Toro’s tale of the monster and the man he created has finally arrived.
Set in the early 1800s, the film sees a bloodied and beaten Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Ex Machina”), telling his tale of monstrous creation to a ship captain, played by Lars Mikkelsen (“Star Wars: Rebels,” “Devils”). He recaps his expulsion from the Royal College of Surgeons and meeting of Henrich Harlander, played by Christoph Waltz (“Inglorious Bastards,” “Django Unchained”), a wealthy arms manufacturer and uncle to Elizabeth Harlander, played by Mia Goth (“Pearl,” “Infinity Pool”), the fiancé of Victor’s brother William, played by Felix Kammerer (“All Quiet on the Western Front (2022),” “All the Light We Cannot See”), which leads to the elder Harlander funding Victor’s research and eventual building of his once dead man, known as The Creature, played by Jacob Elordi (“euphoria,” “Saltburn”).
Del Toro has stated multiple times that Netflix was the only studio willing to fund the budget and scale he wanted for this tale, and he’s certainly made fantastic use of that $120 million budget. Towering laboratories and intricate manor houses, draped with all manner of gothic architecture and designs litter the film. It’s an exceptionally gorgeous looking film and cinematographer Dan Laustsen (“Crimson Peak,” “The Shape of Water”) makes fantastic use of this bend on 18th century life. Alexandre Desplat (“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Shape of Water”) brings a musical score that brings everything to life even further, resulting in a wholly excellent technical package that looks as gothically delightful as it feels.
Isaac’s performance really makes the titular mad scientist come alive in a way that feels far more fleshed out and conflicted than we’ve seen before. He’s a constantly maddening, infuriating, and complex individual that is easy to feel for as much as it is to rage against him. The surrounding supporting cast props up his crazed behavior and science well; Goth is a far more subdued twist of her darkly obsessed previous roles, Kammerer turns a possibly thankless brotherly role into a painful sibling relationship, Waltz chews up plenty of scenery without any of the baggage associated with that description, and the minor roles from Mikkelsen and David Bradley (“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “The Strain”) are delightfully done and a spotlight of pure warmth in the film's sometimes cruel humanity, only bitter in their brevity.
The lone actor not yet mentioned is Jacob Elordi, and that is for good reason. For what could initially seem like a thankless role, draped in prosthetics and heavy costuming for the entirety of the runtime, he turns in what is, without a doubt, the finest performance in the film. The way he’s able to delve into the most monstrous aspects of the character and his physicality, while also delivering on the most humanizing aspects is incredibly impressive. You’d almost be convinced that it was two different actors given the stark contrasts between the deliveries, but it’s Elordi through and through. This is a wholly impressive performance from an actor who, to put it bluntly, hasn’t had the most challenging filmography thus far. But this role and the skill, empathy, and depth on display showcase really bright things for Elordi going forward.
Bolstering the excellent cast and production design is the script, written by del Toro himself, which might just be the most interesting and book-accurate interpretation we’ve seen yet. Beyond that accuracy, del Toro is most interested in the pseudo-parental aspects between Victor and his Creature, as well as the internal questions that evolve from the idea of being human. While on paper they might be trite or played out, the structure of del Toro’s film allows for it to feel fresh and new. The amount of time we spend with the Creature is longer than one might expect, and it allows for some exceptionally emotionally cathartic events to play out.
As previously stated, the film looks exceptional, but the individual makeup and creature effects are positively phenomenal. Led by creature designer Mike Hill (“The Shape of Water,” “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”), it's not only a different take on the creature’s construction, but a visually stunning interpretation as well. Forget the sewed-on head and neck bolts; this is a far more elegant and crafted version of Victor’s beast. There’s plenty of fantastic bits of beautiful bodies and gore peppered throughout, accompanied by excellent puppetry. It’s a seamless blend of practical and digital effects, and it results in a work of gorgeous gothic beauty.
The film might not officially be titled “Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein” but it might as well be. This is a deeply emotive, empathetic take on Mary Shelley’s novel in a way that only someone like del Toro could deliver. An exceptionally beautiful looking and sounding film, packed with a top-tier cast and a career defining performance from Jacob Elordi, this is a truly unique and excellent film. It’s hand crafted, man-made, and gloriously human. 5/5
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