October 17th marked the release of a new horror drama film, a fresh adaptation of an excellent story, this being Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein. This wasn’t just another reboot of the same movie reproduced by a different director; this was another beautiful film created by Guillermo del Toro.
If you haven’t heard of him, Guillermo Del Toro is a Mexican director, writer, and producer. He made notable films like Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, and many more. He is notorious for his abstract costume design, color choices, and special effects. Frankenstein is no exception to this either.
I went into this movie blind, except for knowing it was a Guillermo Del Toro film, and as someone raised on the Hellboy movies, another one of his creations, I was excited to watch it. I had also heard about the film’s cast, with Doctor Victor Frankenstein being played by Oscar Isaac, a phenomenal actor who has delivered one of his best roles in Marvel’s Moon Knight, where he showcased a wide array of characters and emotions. Mia Goth was another prominent actor in this film; she had previously been in the X trilogy, another great horror series, as the main character in each movie. My expectations were set high with all this in mind. The film was officially released for streaming on Netflix on November 7th, so my family and I got some popcorn and started the film.
This new rendition of Frankenstein was surprisingly different from any other story I had seen or read. For many, the new version might not have been what they expected or maybe wanted, but I believe it was new and fresh, unlike the creature in this film. Frankenstein’s monster, given the title The Creature, displayed Guillermo Del Toro’s style through his makeup and costume design; his appearance was really reminiscent of Prince Nuada, a character with amazing costume details in Hellboy. It was cool seeing Toro’s style follow him through his movies. The costume design for characters like Elizabeth, played by Mia Goth, and Victor, played by Oscar Isaac, really conjured the Victorian style. The unique dress choices for Elizabeth were a film choice that really showed her character as an exploring young woman inspired by being different and breaking the mold of society, and it was fascinating seeing her odd and beautiful dresses.
The film stretched a little over 2 and a half hours and was split into two perspectives: that of Victor and that of his creature. Like the original, it tells a cautionary tale of how your ambitions can lead you down a dark path, but the film also explores a strong theme of finding meaning and forgiveness. The second half of the film is dominated by Jacob Elordi as the Creature, and it is the film’s low point. It had good visuals, which helped the viewer gain sympathy for the Creature, but at the same time, the story lacked a bit during this segment. In the story, we watched as the creature escaped the castle and bonded with a small woodland family, but the connection between the creature and the family could have been stronger. Altogether, the plot and acting of the film were good, but nothing can beat the stunning visuals of a Guillermo del Toro movie. My favorite part was seeing the locations where the film was shot, as well as the colors used in the movie. Toro is truly the king of complementary colors when it comes to filmmaking.
It is an understatement to say that this was a great film. With incredible acting, costume design, sets, visual effects, and story, 2025 Frankenstein was a true hit and won’t be a movie I could easily forget. Watch this movie if you enjoy Victorian horror dramas and don’t mind seeing a fresh twist on a classic story.
