Guillermo Del Toro has been dying to create his own version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein since as early as 2007. After many delays and setbacks over the years, the project was finally revived by Netflix in 2023 and is set to release globally on the platform next month on November 7th after having the biggest theatrical window for a Netflix film.
- Director – Guillermo Del Toro
- Runtime – 150 minutes
- Certificate – 15
- Country – United States
This film concludes a journey for me that started at age seven, when I saw James Whale’s Frankenstein film for the first time. It is an honour to be able to invite people to take a closer look at how my incredible crafts team and I have brought Mary Shelley’s world to life on screen.
Director, Guillermo Del Toro
Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is undoubtedly going to cause a divide among fans of the book for it’s straying away from the source material, but at the same time following too closely. Del Toro clearly had a vision for the story he wanted to tell and whether you agree with the changes he made, they work in his favour.
The film starts out by closely following the book with the prelude of The Monster attacking the ship. Here the atmosphere and gothic nature is set for the remainder of the film – it is dark and brutal, yet there is still a certain beauty hidden away behind it all. Del Toro is known for his gothic production design and he does not shy away from it here. The massive set designs (notably Victor’s castle) sell the illusion that this is really set in the 1850’s and captures that essence.
However, while the sets are brilliant, they are brought down by the biggest gripe I have with this film and that is its visuals. At times the film is absolutely stunning to look at but unfortunately for a lot of it, it really felt like a Netflix film. It sounds silly considering they did in fact distribute the film but in the beginning, showing Victor’s childhood it felt like I was watching an episode of Bridgerton. The way the film is lit – particularly scenes set in the day, really took me out and almost ruined the illusion that is created by these extravagant set designs. Do not get me wrong, it still looks amazing at times but it just so happens when the film is in daylight, it looks like a watered down version of a Guillermo Del Toro’s film.
The Monster is the main talking point of this adaptation and for generally good reasons. Its characterisation is totally different from that of the book. Del Toro wanted to tell this story in more sympathetic eyes towards it and granted it does work. There is something so earnest and sincere about this version of it that made it compelling. I may not love actual change in characterisation but it fits the narrative that Del Toro is telling.
What sells this though is Jacob Elordi. To think that he was the second option is insane because it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role. He completely slips away into the character and delivers a performance that is truly special – if the world was just, he should easily be getting an acting award nomination. When he was announced to be playing the role, I was initially sceptical because he does not have the typical physicality that The Monster is usually described to have but I completely get it now. Elordi is the perfect choice for this telling as he shows that there is still beauty behind the madness.
The barn sequence truly highlights this as his facial and body acting here is wonderful. The way he express his eyes when learning about new things or how he moves when around the blind man – accompanied by a stellar score which sounds so whimsical and curious, it really does feel like he is this child experiencing the world for the first time, which he is.
However, the characterisation of The Monster I feel is actually less of an issue than the characterisation of Victor Frankenstein. I know that for this narrative to work Victor has to be cruel and abusive towards The Monster (which he is as well in the book) but here there’s no sort of moral conundrum to be had. Victor is in fact in the wrong and pushes the narrative that ‘Victor is the true monster.’ Del Toro presents here a more one dimensional viewpoint that really can’t be argued with.
Unfortunately, Del Toro spends way more time with The Monster than Victor for him to be developed enough for me to actually care about him again pushing that narrative. Aside from his characterisation, Oscar Isaac does a solid job at portraying the character delivering a good performance but left me feeling unconvinced at the same time.
In the end, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is in its own way a beautiful and touching story that strays away from the source material in favour of telling its own unique narrative backed by brilliant performances, a whimsical score and fantastic production design, even if it is drowned out by its cinematography.
Frankenstein is now playing in select cinemas and hits Netflix November 7.