It’s hard to think of a story that Hollywood has watched more often than “Frankenstein.” There have been dozens of film adaptations, but none can top the 1931 classic that made Boris Karloff a star. So do we need another one?
Guillermo del Toro seems to think so.
If anyone can make “Frankenstein” its own thing, it’s del Toro, the visionary mastermind who gave us “Pan’s Labyrinth.” And it wouldn’t be the first time he’s delved into monsters (2018 Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water”) and horror (“Crimson Peak”). But as you delve deeper into his two-and-a-half-hour attempt at Mary Shelley’s 1818 Gothic novel, you wonder if it was worth all the effort.
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Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. (Ken Woroner/Netflix)
The film opens with a “prelude” in the Arctic of 1857, where a ship bound for the North Pole becomes stuck in the frozen sea. The crew finds a seriously injured Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and brings him on board, unaware that following Frankenstein is The Creature (Jacob Elordi), whose height towers over the sailors and whose strength can easily throw them overboard.
As Frankenstein and Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) barricade themselves from The Creature, Frankenstein shares his entire life story, beginning with his upbringing and being raised by his cruel and distant father, who indoctrinates him to become a doctor at a very young age. His younger brother William immediately becomes the favorite child after their mother dies during childbirth.
Years later, an arrogant Frankenstein will be ostracized by his medical colleagues when he demonstrates the resuscitation of a corpse, which they immediately call a “carnival act” and “fraud.” The only man who takes Frankenstein seriously is Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a charming arms dealer who offers to be a benefactor for his research. Frankenstein and Harlander are joined by Victor’s now fully grown, estranged brother William (Felix Kammerer), who is engaged to Harlander’s niece Elizabeth (Mia Goth), whom Victor clearly has a crush on.
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Mia Goth as Elizabeth in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. (Ken Woroner/Netflix)
They create a laboratory from an abandoned tower and Victor picks the cream of the crop from corpses of hanged criminals and soldiers who fought in the Crimean War to build a whole new man. Using electrical currents from a thunderstorm, Victor brings The Creature to life, but unfortunately without the famous “It’s alive!” statement as in the Universal classic.
Initially amazed by his own creation, Victor soon becomes frustrated by The Creature’s lack of cognitive development beyond learning to say Victor’s name, although The Creature appears to form a bond with Elizabeth after she and William make an unannounced visit. Victor sets the tower on fire with The Creature inside, thinking The Creature had died.
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Christoph Waltz as Henrich Harlander in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. (Ken Woroner/Netflix)
Back on the ship, The Creature eventually makes his way to the cabin, giving him the opportunity to tell Captain Anderson his own side of the story (essentially Act II), which revisits how he developed intellectually with the help of a gentle blind man and his own journey in tracking down Victor.
Isaac, Waltz and Goth are all doing fine. It’s Elordi, the rising star best known for “Saltburn” and HBO’s “Euphoria,” who has the bigger challenge in his unrecognizable role as The Creature. He gives a moving performance that brings humanity to the legendary monster.
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Jacob Elordi as the creature in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. (Ken Woroner/Netflix)
Like all previous adaptations, ‘Frankenstein’ grapples with the question of whether man can really play God (the answer may surprise you!). If del Toro is going to retell a story that most of the English-speaking world generally knows from beginning to end, he has one crucial mission as a storyteller: to get us emotionally involved. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
Nevertheless, his “Frankenstein” is still a visual treat, with elaborate production design, extravagant costumes, stunning cinematography, commendable makeup from The Creature and another strong score from Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat.
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Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. (Ken Woroner/Netflix)
The verdict:
Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a lush, serviceable adaptation that gives a horror classic the fairytale treatment. While the production value is top-notch and the entertainment value is there, this monster movie probably won’t resonate with audiences as much as Karloff’s did almost a century later.
★★★ — STREAM IT LATER
“Frankenstein” is rated R for bloody violence and grisly imagery. Running time: 2 hours, 29 minutes. In select cinemas, streaming on Netflix from November 7, 2025.
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