After a very limited theatrical run, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has been released on Netflix. This movie has a star-studded cast and has been one of my most anticipated all year. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, and Felix Kammerer star in this movie adaptation. The story starts in current time as The Creature is trying to take Victor Frankenstein from a ship of sailors. While this occurs, Victor tells his story of his creation to the captain of the ship.
The craftsmanship on display is absolutely gorgeous. The cinematography and production design are beautifully perfect. From what I have heard, Guillermo del Toro’s other movies look great, so he must have a really good eye for visuals. The gothic look of everything makes this movie feel very unique. Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to do this movie since he was a kid, so he made sure everything looked great. He is a big fan of practical effects, so the gore, design of The Creature, and the laboratory are all done practically.
Overall, the acting is phenomenal, but Jacob Elordi was the main standout. The complexity of his character created a lot of empathy for his character. There have been many portrayals of The Monster, but Elordi creates his own version. The relationship with Oscar Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein was very entertaining to watch how it plays out. They had very good chemistry together.
Oscar Isaac gives a very solid performance. His character was one-note for a majority of the movie, but he was very good at playing the arrogant character. However, I feel that his character gets lost in the shuffle at points. I was more interested in The Creature when they shared the screen together. In big moments for Victor, the focus is on the amazing visuals and effects instead of him.
Although the rest of the characters were well-acted, I think that those stories were underdeveloped. The story of Harlander (Christoph Waltz) quickly ended after it became interesting. Waltz is always great at having small details in his performance, leaving the viewer guessing his motives. Mia Goth’s character became a side character after her relationship ended with Victor. She has scenes here and there with Elordi that are good, but she doesn’t fit in with the rest of the cast.
The story is divided into three main acts. The first is Victor’s story, the second is The Creature’s story, and the third is the present time on the ship. The first act is easily the worst act due to how long and monotonous it can be at certain points. This is a story that is already well-known, so diving into even more detail felt unnecessary. The backstory was important, but there were parts that inflated the runtime, especially the romance between Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth. The second act picks up in pace, and it is easily the best part. The third act comes to the present time, and it feels weird during the movie when it cuts back to this part. However, it all comes together in a great dialogue between creator and creation.
As one of my most anticipated movies for the year, I found Frankenstein a little disappointing. There’s a lot to love, but I thought this should have been an easy slam dunk. I think if it had cut down on the runtime even by 10-15 minutes in the first act, it would have been my favorite movie of the year. I would recommend this movie to Guillermo del Toro fans or Gothic movie fans.
Final Verdict: 4/5 (Go Watch on Netflix)
Junior Ranon Travers is a Staff Writer. His email is rtravers@fandm.edu.