Frankenstein

This review dives into Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein, which is now streaming on Netflix.

The Movie: A Visual Powerhouse

In Del Toro’s take on the Mary Shelley classic, Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) reflects:

“The achievement felt unnatural, devoid of meaning,” right after breathing life into his creation

(Jacob Elordi). It’s a strange moment of clarity, considering Victor spent the entire movie

obsessively chasing the sacrilegious dream of reanimating the dead.

Del Toro tells this story with overwhelming cinematic energy. The screen is packed with

corpses, limbs, and skulls, all captured through sweeping camera moves, low angles, and

deep shadows. With massive sets and a haunting Alexandre Desplat score, the film is a

technical marvel.

For the first half, though, the movie is a bit like its protagonist: a gorgeous assembly of parts

with plenty of visual "electricity" but not enough "spark." It roars, but it forgets to breathe.

Fortunately, that changes.

The Performance: Elordi Brings the Monster to Life

The credit for that shift goes entirely to Jacob Elordi. Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth), Victor’s

love interest, asks a poignant question: “Which of the parts that made this man contains his

soul?” Victor, in his quest to mock God, would deny the soul even exists—he never stopped to

think about the consequences of his creation.

But Elordi makes the creature’s awakening, his growing curiosity, and his pain feel incredibly

fresh. Even though we all know the Frankenstein story by heart, the look in Elordi's eyes

revitalizes the legend. Out of all the film's impressive components, his performance is what

actually gives it a soul.

The Creator vs. The Creation

Once the "New Man" takes center stage, the movie finally finds its rhythm. It starts to live in

the quiet moments as the creature discovers the world and realizes his own isolation.

Before the monster takes over, the film feels busy but a bit hollow—which might actually be

intentional. Victor, despite being played by an actor as talented as Oscar Isaac, lacks nuance