Frankenstein

It's no secret that talented and visionary director Del Toro has been working up the courage to complete Frankenstein, his biggest inspiration, for decades now. In interviews tailing many years he has told of his admiration for the story and it's effect upon him. Even some of his previous work has inspirations from the classic gothic novel, of course I'm referencing Blade 2 (believe it or not), where one of the reapers finally confronts his maker. And as a movie lover, nothing makes me happier than to see a director get to shoot his dream picture, especially a director who has contributed so much.

Now compared to some other reviewer's my score may seem pretty low, and let me start by saying it's going to be loved by critics and loved by award shows, and deserves the accolades it will receive, but for me personally, I respect it more than I love it.

Del Toro is a incredible director, and that's more than evident in this picture, I enjoyed the story, and his rendition of it, visually it's stunning. But, sorry to say, I'm just not a huge fan of Gothic horror, I never have been. I've tried over the years, and this movie I surprisingly enjoyed more than most, but it's something that's just not always going to be my cup of tea.

There were large portions of the movie I enjoyed, there did come a part in the movie where it headlined the title 'Part 2' which I dreaded, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but I had already felt like I watched a feature movie, yet I was only half way. It was a bit long for me. Which only felt longer because of the pacing.

On the positives, it looks great visually, set pieces are gothic but brilliant, and I loved the cast performances, especially Jacob Elordi as the The Creature. I was not familiar with this actor, but I give credit where it's due, that was a brilliant performance.

Look. If gothic horror is not your thing, still give it a chance, it can be long winded but it's a great rendition of a classic story, I'd be surprised if you hated it even if it's not your favorite genre. If you rated it higher, I'm not going to argue with you, it probably deserves it.

Finally someone came very close to capturing the original story. Del Toro has done an excellent job. Perhaps not for everyone, but I was enthralled. I wish it was playing in main theaters but I imagine they are worried the general superhero and monster movie crowd won't get it. Personally, this was very worth my time.

Don't get me wrong. The movie is beautifully done with stellar performances, great cinematography and stunning soundtrack.

I've loved Guillermo Del Toro since I was a teenager and I watched Pan's Labyrinth for the first time, and then I made it my goal to see everything he's ever directed. But I've loved Mary Shelley's Frankenstein since I was in elementary school. After I read it the first time, I kept rereading it over and over again.

My issue with this is that this is not Frankenstein. At least, not Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is completely changed, and I'm not sure that it is for the better. I was seeing all these reviewers rage how this is the Frankenstein we deserve and that this is as close as it gets to the actual book. The former is up for debate, but the latter is a straight up lie from someone who's obviously never read or understood the source material.

If this would've been an original story, I would've liked it way more. But seeing as it is supposed to be an adaptation of a childhood favorite of mine, it simply doesn't hold up. Definitely the biggest disappointment of the year for me, and I've been looking forward to this since last year. I was disappointed when I heard that it wasn't playing in theaters near me, but I guess it was for the best.

If you're going to watch this, I would suggest you drop all expectations of it being Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and watch it as it's own original thing.

First off, I love a modern gothic horror adaptation, this just made my list of Halloween yearly rewatches along with Nosteratu (2024). There's just something about the visuals of rain flooded cathedral rooftops and blood flowing down cobblestone streets that gives you a faint touch of anxiety that you'll catch the plague while sitting in your theater's recliner.

But I digress, Oscar Isaac is brilliant, no surprise there, from Drive to Ex Machina, his villain arc continues to grow like the hump on Igor's back. I look forward to his next role as usual.

I have to admit, having never seen Euphoria, I didn't know how Jacob Elordi would play out but the dude's got range! He really brought the character to life, killed it, then brought it back to life again.

Mia Goth, great mother of Pearl! I found myself falling in line behind all of the other characters in the film that fell in love with her. She never misses.

Christoph Waltz... need I say more?

Guillermo del Toro delivers once again! The visuals and storytelling kept me engaged, even when scenes would slow down, the emotion picked up. And this film is brutal! The creature does not hold back, he was put together to rip others apart.

Go to the theater to see this one while you can! Every shot is masterfully framed and the grandiose set pieces require eyes to be feasted upon the big screen.

Holy s***. Finally, after a bunch of okay, mediocre and awful adaptations tackling Mary Shelley's gothic science fiction horror epic, Guillermo del Toro gets to have his vision fully realized in what's easily one of the most faithful adaptations ever made while still being his own film.

The visuals are phenomenal, the acting is outstanding all around (although Isaac and Elordi are the standouts), Guillermo's writing and direction are steadfast and intimately visceral, the music is haunting, and the cinematography is some of the best of the year. I will be seeing this again in theaters, but I hope Netflix sits down and let's this epic go to IMAX. That would be one hell of an experience.