Guillermo Del Toro has made a name for himself by creating dark and sumptuous fantasy epics. Needless to say, its no surprise that his version of Frankenstein is a beautiful film, and one with soul to spare. The cast is exquisite, and the set design is hard to believe, considering it was mostly practically done. Every frame is a painting and every performance is a winner. In adapting one of the most famous stories in literature history, Del Toro has crafted an emotionally spell-binding spectacle.
Del Toro loves the story of Frankenstein, and it seems this is the story he was meant to tell. I was lucky enough to catch this on the big screen before it went to streaming, and I was absolutely hypnotized. If it’s possible, see this one on the biggest screen you can- its scale is grand, and its story as timeless as ever.
Gods and monsters
When adapting such an iconic story, you must make sure you have the performers to rightly carry the torch. Del Toro knew exactly what he was doing, and while there were some last-minute changes, it certainly worked out for the better!
First and foremost, Oscar Isaac brings an intensity to the infamous Dr. that makes your head spin! His obsession is intoxicating, his insanity believable, and his sideburns? Badass. All joking aside, I think Isaac should earn himself an Oscar nom at the very least, as this role is emotionally and physically taxing as hell.
The supporting cast are no small players, either. Mia Goth plays the beautifully delicate romantic foil, Elizabeth Lavenza. Christoph Waltz plays a hilarious and desperate Henreich Harlander, his acting as inspired as ever. Playing the younger Frankenstein brother with an endearing innocence is Felix Kammerer, an angel to Isaac’s devil.
But, there is no performance here greater than that of Jacob Elordi, as the new, and improved, Frankenstein’s Monster. While I’m sure Andrew Garfield could’ve pulled this off, Elordi brings such a tortured beauty to the role, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in Del Toro’s carnival of lost souls. Slowly, over two and half hours, we see Elordi transform from newborn babe to a well worn philosopher- and it is no easy ride.
Epic scale, epic sets, epic runtime
The beauty to behold in this film is almost too much to bear. The time and place of mid-1800s Europe, and elsewhere, is captured perfectly. Every set, costume, and line of dialogue is elegant enough to transport you far away from the modern age. The chills I got when the tower was revealed, when the lightning struck, when the monster breathed life- it was spine-chilling. Del Toro is not only a master behind the camera, his imagination knows no bounds.
And with such an epic story to tell, Del Toro wanted to tell it all- from both creator and monster’s perspective. We watch as Frankenstein and his monster recount their sad, action-packed, and horrifying life stories, and its enough to make a grown man cry. The intensity only lets up in scenes of striking emotion, but we are constantly being thrown in and out of tonal shifts. The horror at hand is always encroaching on the beauty, and vice versa, but never once does the story drag.
Breathing life into an old story
From the beginning, you know what tale is about to be told. But its the detail, craft, and care that makes this old tale so very refreshing. Every step of the way, it felt as though I was watching this story unfold for the first time. Del Toro is smart to take few creative liberties, just enough to give you unexpected drama, comedy, and horror in almost equal measures.
There is a surprising amount of fun to be had in this film. I thought it would only be dark and dreary, but I was wrong! The audience and I were cracking up more than I expected, to be sure. But the scares, and the tears, are even more prevalent. All in all, it’s a romantic, terrifying, grotesque, funny, and heartbreaking time at the movies. And all of that is no easy feat to pull off.
Netflix presents ?
What fascinates me most about this cinematic achievement is the attachment of the streaming service, Netflix. While streaming services are generally ruining the movie business, this appears to be an example of a symbiotic relationship. The film is currently playing in select theaters, and will be streaming on Netflix starting November 7th. Of course, it would be preferred if the film only had a theater run, but unfortunately in this day and age, its just not feasible.
I saw this film at Boston’s historic Coolidge Corner Theater, and let me tell you, it was an absolute blast! The theater I saw it in is a huge, ornate auditorium, holding 432 seats. I saw it on a Sunday night, and yet, when I arrived, the line was out the door. Hundreds of excited movie goers were waiting in the cold, excited for Del Toro’s Frankenstein. You could sense the anticipation and it was electric, excuse the pun.
As I mentioned before, we laughed, we gasped, and we cried. There really is no better place to be seeing films than in the actual theaters. That being said, so many zombies are just used to watching films at their homes, on their TV screens, and so be it. You can watch Frankenstein from the comfort of your home soon enough, but you’ll never know how it feels to have such beauty looming over you. Let alone how it feels to watch something new with hundreds of others at the same time.
Either way, this movie should be seen, and I am so happy Netflix made it available in theaters. It’s clearly the way it was meant to be seen. Catch it in theaters now!
