Throughout his career, Guillermo del Toro has told a number of incredible tales about a variety of monsters. Arguably, the definitive cinematic monster of all time is Frankenstein’s Monster, who’s been adapted into live-action from Mary Shelley‘s book dozens of times in dozens of different ways. It only makes sense that del Toro would eventually get to take a crack at the iconic creature, and while the character has appeared in various pieces of pop culture or inspired similar works throughout the years, it’s been quite some time since we’ve gotten a direct adaptation of the source material. With his Frankenstein, del Toro has given audiences a loving ode to the iconic character that feels a bit redundant when it is forced to touch on required narrative beats, yet delivers what might be the defining take on the Creature for this generation.

After losing his mother at a young age, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) devotes his life to conquering death. He’s funded by Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) in this quest, and while he appreciates the financial support, Victor becomes infatuated with Henrich’s niece Elizabeth (Mia Goth), who doesn’t reciprocate Victor’s feelings. This only makes Victor more passionate about bringing to life his Creature (Jacob Elordi), but when the Creature doesn’t mentally adapt quickly enough for Victor’s liking, he abandons his creation, both forcing and allowing Creature to go on his own journey of enlightenment to discover what really makes someone be truly “alive,” and whether he meets those criteria or not.

Thanks to films like Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, two Hellboy movies, and The Shape of Water, del Toro has deservedly been praised throughout his career for his production design and his stylized cinematic sensibilities. I was able to see Frankenstein in theaters, and it pains me to say that this might be his least impressive offering in the realm of scope and scale. It’s not that anything is done poorly, necessarily, but the nature of the narrative and how a majority of scenes take place in interior settings, combined with del Toro’s stylized cinematography, means we get lots of scenes that are relatively underlit. Admittedly, fans of previous incarnations of Frankenstein and those typically moody, somber, and grotesque adaptations will appreciate that del Toro injects much more light and color into his take on the material, which is an improvement, yet I still didn’t feel blown away by any specific sequence. Given that this movie is set to debut on Netflix in a few weeks, I can sadly say that the movie won’t lose much in translation to the small screen. However, sequences displaying the Creature’s rage in the Arctic will surprise and delight horror fans, largely due to how so many Frankenstein adaptations overlook these components entirely, and how del Toro gets to tap into his more gruesome storytelling sensibilities.

It’s hard to be completely oblivious to the backstory of Victor Frankenstein, given the adaptations of the character over the past century and how it’s inspired countless other characters, so the first half of the movie, and how it delivers all the necessary beats of Victor, feels a bit redundant. Understandably, you can’t tell the story of Frankenstein without diving into these elements, but with a 2.5-hour run time, it’s easy for your excitement to fade. Isaac makes the material work, conveying Victor as less of a mad scientist and more as an artist whose canvas is flesh and bone, who also struggles with interpersonal connections. His passion for creation is driven in part by the loss of his mother and his failed relationship with his father, aiming to create something that he can care for in a way that’s “better” than how his father cared for him. Some of the most delightful scenes are those in which Victor first breathes life into the Creature, showing him water and the Sun. Isaac does the best he can with the material; there’s just not that much new for him to do with the character.

To say that del Toro and Elordi’s Creature in Frankenstein is transcendent feels like a bit of an understatement. Even though this take on the character looks distractingly similar to the Engineers in Prometheus, this does highlight how the Creature is less of a monster, so much as he’s grotesquely beautiful, in his own way. Del Toro has championed sympathetic monsters his entire career, with this Creature potentially being the most sympathetic monster we’ve ever seen in a Frankenstein adaptation, if not in all of cinema. Elordi’s physicality as the young Creature, awkwardly and playfully exploring his surroundings, is reminiscent of watching a baby or puppy interact with the world. When he’s hurt or enraged, his guttural sounds and visceral reactions reverberate in the audience. One specific stretch of the story, when the Creature first leaves his prison behind to observe the world around him, is truly moving. The innocence, joy, and wonder the Creature experiences in the world around him, only to result in violence and tragedy, is absolutely heartbreaking in ways you likely couldn’t anticipate. The entire back half of the film and its focus on the Creature more than make up for the more expected elements of the first half of the movie.

The story of Frankenstein has been around for more than 200 years, with the original James Whale adaptation starring Boris Karloff having been around for nearly 100 years. It’s easy to come into del Toro’s take being jaded, wondering how he could make such an antiquated story feel fresh and relevant, with him, Isaac, and Elordi somehow managing to make the film’s themes feel entirely contemporary. From the concepts of falling into cycles of familial abuse to toxic masculinity to what it means to be human to the power of forgiveness and acceptance in the face of violence and evil, it’s all there. You might have preconceived notions about how good a Frankenstein adaptation can be, and that first half of this take likely won’t surprise you, but for those approaching this experience with an open mind, you’ll be more than rewarded with how del Toro manages to honor the character in all its literary and cinematic glory.

Wolfman Moon Scale