Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a fantastic revival of a well-established classic starring a-list actors Oscar Issac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth. With beautiful sets and intense, gruesome moments, the film tells the tale of “Frankenstein” like never before.
The story follows Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Issac, who grows up without a father figure yet feels pressure to live up to his family name. From a very young age, he wanted to defy life and death due to his mother’s death.
As he matures and becomes a scientist, Victor succeeds in bringing together pieces of dead bodies to create life itself.
This small experiment led him to his greatest and most terrifying achievement: creating something, or rather someone, with a life of its own, the Creature, who’s played by Jacob Elordi.
After bringing Jacob Elordi’s “monster” to life, Victor attempts to educate him. But as desperation and anger builds, he starts to physically and verbally abuse the monster, making him afraid and scared.
Elizabeth, Mia Goth’s character, the woman Victor’s younger brother is set to marry and with whom Victor secretly loves, plays a crucial part in the story. When she meets the monster, he starts to display real human emotion.
Something that I really liked about the movie was the relationship between the characters. It was fascinating how they were all supporting each other, yet somehow deep down, they were all scared of what they were capable of.
Oscar Isaac’s performance as Frankenstein truly kept me on the edge of my seat because I didn’t know what he was going to do, or how he was going to react. He was just a man going into the path of insanity.
Performances by Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth were also impressive, and their relationship and interactions with each other were very special.
The second act of the movie shifts to the monster’s perspective. He explores the world, befriends someone who teaches him language and emotion and begins to understand what it means to be human. Though made from death, he yearns for life, love and belonging—a true sense of humanity.
I really like how the movie begins at the end and tells the story from two different perspectives — first from the creator and then from the created. I think it’s a smart way of showing both sides of the coin, and somehow you feel empathy for both characters.
Overall, del Toro’s rendition of “Frankenstein” is a powerful reimagining of a timeless classic. However, it includes a little bit too much animal violence and lots of gory scenes for me. Still, for fans of the “Frankenstein” myth, this is a must-watch.