The tagline for this film: Only Monsters Play God. An egotistical scientist uses his unbridled brilliance to bring life to a creature made from the stitched together body parts of fallen soldiers and hanged criminals. The experiment is seen as a failure by the scientist due to his past traumatic experiences which leads to his undoing and the tragic existence of his monstrous creation.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a cinematic work of art by the filmmaker that sheds light on the plight of the creation in a way that humanizes it while villainizing the creator while offering reasons for that perceived villainy. The screenplay by Guillermo del Toro is able to explore different aspects of the book by Mary Shelley but it is in his directing that this production truly invigorates the senses. The cast is top notch with Jacob Elordi as the Creature giving a sympathetic performance with Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein giving a truly unhinged one as Mia Goth plays two roles with Christoph Waltz and Charles Dance playing integral to the dynamics of this version of the story. The cinematography by Dan Laustsen and music by Alexandre Desplat go hand in hand to elevate the gothic feel of this production. I will be the first to admit that the design of the Creature grew on me through the course of the film since it reminded me of the music video Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra, but by the time it fought the cgi wolves I was fully onboard. My favorite version of this story is 1994’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein because of how faithful it is to the source material, but what this version lacks in adherence to the original work it surpasses with the emotional journey it takes you on that feels true to the characters within this particular retelling of the narrative. I rate this film a rating of 4 out of 5.
