Frankenstein
2025
***
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Christian Convery, Lauren Collins
The brilliant but egotistical surgeon Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with reversing death. When he finally seizes the chance to assemble a man out of body parts and bring it to life, the result falls short of his expectations. Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has been adapted to the screen countless times, sometimes successfully (1931) and sometimes less so (1994). Guillermo del Toro, who has often displayed sympathy for monsters in his past work, treats his dream project similarly: he gives the creation superpowers and invulnerability, and rather unsubtly reminds us that the true monster in this scenario is the creator. Apart from some obvious CGI work, the film looks and sounds magnificent, but del Toro is not able to breathe new life into a familiar tale. The use of the North Pole as a framing device makes the story feel overly long and occasionally baffling. While Jacob Elordi gives a delicate yet powerful performance as the creation, Mia Goth is unable to generate the intrigue or sex appeal required for her underwritten role. An Academy Award winner for best costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design.
