Frankenstein

“they will hunt and kill you for being who you are.” this is guillermo firing on all cylinders, going for a full on violent and gothic yet faithful adaptation of mary shelley’s famous novel. i loved almost every second of it and it was truly glorious in 35mm at the egyptian theater in hollywood. i hope netflix sees the power of the movie theaters and continues to distribute their films to theaters because there is most definitely an audience for them. an absolute packed house for the 9:45pm showtime and not a phone in sight throughout the whole runtime. i’ll get my main negative out of the way first so i can yap about the fantastic stuff in this film. my main gripe with this adaptation revolves around elizabeth (played by an underutilized mia goth). del toro gives little teases as to potential character development and significance beyond what exists in the novel, just to proceed to throw it all away and leave her character feeling shallow and rather unnecessary to the overall themes and story being told. she truly serves no purpose outside of serving as the antithesis (if you even can call it that) to victor’s relationship with the monster. onto the good. the production design and aesthetic is perfection. like i said earlier, guillermo just goes balls to the wall and fully realizes this moody and atmospheric setting. from the cobblestone and rusting metals of northern england to the freezing arctic with wind blowing at petrifying temperatures, i felt so immersed in the environments and sets. while some segments you can clearly tell it is blue screen, much of the film is practical and is incredibly impressive, especially the attention to detail in the prosthetics and props. something i wasn’t expecting was just how violent this film gets. del toro shows a brilliant balance of restraint regarding such and utilizes the violence sparingly but with impact. every bullet is felt and the intent is understood and progresses the plot. the gore is unreal. i’d like to think i am able to stomach violence in media for the most part but i flinched or winced a couple of times here for sure. really impressive stuff and i will be rooting for this film in the makeup category during awards season. speaking of makeup, jacob elordi is unrecognizable and gives the best performance of his career. a powerhouse of a performance as the monster and i believe his performance perfectly captures both the fury and the empathy required for the role as the monster. oscar isaac is so hatable but undeniably incredible as victor. it was really good to see him back on the big screen, in the starring role nonetheless. this adaptation draws heavily from shelley’s work and it works in its favor substantially. there is a reason the novel is still being taught to this day as its messaging and themes are still so profound and relevant. in an era of ai and creations that are starting to develop and evolve on their own beyond their initial concept, this film really emphasizes the importance of accountability and ethics. we have to look at the intent and reasoning behind innovation and advancement because if we don’t, it sure as hell won’t think twice about you. this is a triumph and my little nitpicks shouldn’t deter anyone for giving this film a shot. if you are a fan of the novel like me or just films in general, this is a must watch for this year and i highly recommend the big screen if available in your area.