Frankenstein (2025)

Poster Description: The poster is dimly lit, like a sepia portrait. The creature stands, immense, covered in different furs with a high collar. Except for his head, his giant hand is the only thing visible. It is long-fingered and bloodied. Dark, long hair disappears into his collar, but a lock dangles in front of one eye. “A film by Guillermo Del Toro,” is written in capital letters above the cursive writing for “Frankenstein.” The actors are listed below. “In select theaters October 17” and “Netflix November 7.”

Ever since I watched Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of Hellboy (2004), I have gleefully followed his career. I named Crimson Peak my favourite horror film. Also, The Shape of Water was my second favourite movie of 2018. His empathy towards traditional monsters and “otherness” runs like a current through every project he makes. It only made sense then that Del Toro would be the director to make a decent adaptation of Frankenstein. In preparation, I finally read Mary Shelley’s novel earlier this year. I was left scandalised to discover how previous films (most notably the iconic 1931 film) had essentially stolen Frankenstein’s monster’s voice. The closest version to its origin was, remarkably, found in 2004’s Van Helsing. Ironic, really, since Stephen Sommers plays around so uniquely with the other classic monsters in the film.

Dr Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) is a brilliant scientist. Determined to conquer death, he builds a creature from men’s corpses… but immediately regrets it when the creature (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn) doesn’t meet his lofty expectations. The experiment ultimately leads to the undoing of both tragic figures.

True to the novel, Del Toro breaks the film up into three parts. The prelude is, quite literally, a cold opening, as the monster attacks a Danish ship trapped in ice. Why is he attacking them? The crew just rescued a wounded man left in the frozen desert, and the monster is coming back to finish the job. The battle is gripping and violent as the creature throws men around like dolls, and it will root you to your seat – but then Frankenstein tells his story.

I called both the creature and Frankenstein tragic, because Guillermo Del Toro’s version of him is – big surprise! – still somewhat sympathetic. My greatest issue with Shelley’s novel was the number of times our eponymous doctor tried to literally run from his consequences. And faint. It’s probably an accurate observation of what would happen in real life, but it was still maddening! Silly boy, get back here! Fortunately, we don’t have the problem as much in Del Toro’s version. We get flashbacks of Frankenstein’s life, including the brilliant Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth) as his younger self, and Charles Dance as his steely, overbearing father. Tellingly, Mia Goth (Pearl) plays both Frankenstein’s mother and his love interest. Freud would have a whale of a time over that observation alone, without milk being Frankenstein’s preferred beverage of choice!

Suitably confident and hyper-focused, Isaac has perfected his British accent since Moon Knight. His interactions with the creature reminded me of an impatient, narcissistic father. Meanwhile, Goth is a breath of fresh air to the narrative, as Frankenstein’s brother’s fiancée, Elizabeth (if you think that’s confusing, she is their adopted cousin in the novel). Elizabeth often calls out Frankenstein’s fathomless ego while matching him with intelligence. It’s the main reason, perhaps, why he falls for her, but she does not return those feelings. Her relationship with William (Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front) could do with some more focus, but let’s be real, we’re here for her unexpected rapport with the creature. They are so sweet together, though it’s all too brief. Who knew a leave could hold so much significance?

Regarding costumes, Kate Hawley flexes her talent, fusing Victorian Gothic and contemporary styles; it's clear why she won Costume Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards. From Lady Frankenstein’s gown and gossamer veil, like a bloody smear on the wind, to Elizabeth’s wedding gown nodding to the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein, the detail is breathtaking and a visual feast.

Images Description: (Image 1) Elizabeth (Mia Goth) wears her wedding gown. It has a billowing skirt and a high neck. Silver brooches and chains decorate the shoulders. Her crucifix is prominent below her throat. White silk ribbon is wrapped around her arms and palms. Her ginger hair is long and loose down her back.

(Image 2) A black and white photo from 1935’s The Bride of Frankenstein. The Bride (Elsa Lanchester) stares out at you. Her bandaged arms curl defensively around her torso as if to hide or protect herself. She is draped in a loose white sheet. Her lips are dark. Her hair is up in the iconic beehive shape above her head.

I must also lavish praise on the film’s set designs and Del Toro’s dedication to practical effects. The director’s house is a horror movie museum, so it makes sense that he doesn’t rely on CGI to get his point across. During a hearing, Frankenstein demonstrates a model of a working heart and brain with – of course – the head and torso of a deceased shopkeeper. The animatronic is macabre but very effective. In this chaotic scene, we are also introduced to Christoph Waltz’s Harlander; we see his shiny gold soles first, and the marble top of his cane, shaped like a voluptuous woman. It’s the kind of foreshadowing I enjoy, though the constant references to Frankenstein as Prometheus (so mentioned in the book’s subtitle) do wear after a while.

True to Shelley’s vision, Elordi is intimidating as the creature. His soft speech, though, highlights the creature’s intelligence. No animal grunts here. No little girls thrown into lakes, either. Instead, he becomes enamoured by Elizabeth’s gentle nature and the humble life of a poor, blind man (David Bradley, Hot Fuzz). Until then, it’s easy to forget the film is a Netflix project. The CGI animals just aren’t convincing. The action scenes are shockingly gory, though, and I still don’t understand why or how the creature can heal so quickly.

Mike Hill (the sculptor and makeup artist for Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water) renders the creature as a mosaic of bodies from a mass grave. Someone on social media noted the makeup’s similarity to Gotye’s in the music video “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and now I can't unsee it. You're welcome!

Image Description: (Above) The creature from 2025’s Frankenstein scowls in the dark. A strand of hair dangles past his chiselled jaw, accentuating the number of dark red scars and marks criss-crossing his face like a patchwork quilt of white and grey. (Below) The Australian singer, Gotye has brown, curly, shoulder-length hair. His face is painted in segments of pale colours, and his mouth is open in song.

Is Guillermo Del Toro the perfect choice to direct Frankenstein? Yes. Is this the perfect adaptation of Frankenstein? Not quite. Del Toro also wrote the screenplay, and it shows: Jacob Elordi brings the creature to life with a voice of his own, and every scene and costume is a spectacle of carefully lit, dramatic colour. Oscar Isaac is a pompous, yet strangely likable, antagonist of sorts, and Mia Goth is a gentle, down-to-earth presence throughout all the chaos. The poor CGI lets it down, but it’s still a close second for my favourite film of 2025.

My Rating: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

My Sources:

Frankenstein poster – https://thefutureoftheforce.com/2025/09/30/a-new-poster-for-guillermo-del-toros-frankenstein-comes-to-life-at-netflix/

When was the classic horror Frankenstein film made? - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/

Jacob Elordi’s filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8624059/?ref_=tt_ov_3_2

Who plays young Frankenstein? - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8087548/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2

What other roles has Mia Goth played? - https://www.ranker.com/list/best-mia-goth-movies/david-de-la-riva

Felix Dammerer’s filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0436835/?ref_=tt_cst_t_5

Frankenstein’s costume designer - https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580496/kate-hawley-named-costume-designer-of-the-year-at-fashion-awards-2025-for-work-in-frankenstein

When was Bride of Frankenstein released? - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bride-of-Frankenstein

Who played the Bride? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_Lanchester

Image: Lady Frankenstein’s costume - https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/frankenstein-film-costumes