The Bride!
2026
***½
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz, John Magaro, Julianne Hough, Jeannie Berlin, Matthew Maher, Zlatko Burić, Louis Cancelmi
In the 1930s, Frank, a lonely Frankenstein's monster, arrives in Chicago to seek help in creating a female companion. The body they revive belongs to an escort girl named Ida. Maggie Gyllenhaal's second feature is an ambitious and often bonkers Gothic romance that feels like a combination of Bride of Frankenstein and Bonnie and Clyde with a strong feminist undercurrent. This world is initially hard to get into, as Ida is possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley, the author of the original 1818 Frankenstein novel. However, the story really finds its groove in the second half, as Gyllenhaal's dialogue remains sharp and funny, and the ending is surprisingly moving and romantic. Following her Oscar win for Hamnet, Jessie Buckley delivers another stellar performance.
