Frankenstein: LFF Review
It feels like Guillermo del Toro was born to make his own version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The horror maestro and classic novel are the perfect match and it’s no surprise he’s been trying to make his passion project for many years. You can see just how much he cares about telling this story in his stunning cinematic spectacle.
The classic Gothic horror stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, a mad surgeon who becomes convinced that he can bring the dead back to life. With the backing of Heinrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), he sews together parts of dead bodies to make one being and reanimates it with lightning. However, he isn’t impressed with his creation (Jacob Elordi) and his perceived lack of intelligence and treats it like a prisoner or a pet, keeping it locked up in the basement.
The Frankenstein story has been told so many times but what makes del Toro’s version so unique and fresh is that it switches the point of view to the monster’s at this point. The character is usually treated as this scary, one-dimensional creature, but del Toro tries to humanise him and make us have empathy for this poor soul who was abandoned by his maker and left alone to fend for himself.
What Elordi does in this film is extraordinary. It has to be seen to be believed. It’s a role that requires an otherworldly physicality, a hoarse, growling voice and hours and hours of prosthetics. This must have been incredibly challenging but he rises to the occasion, not only looking and sounding the part but giving the monster more soul than we’ve come to expect. The monster was originally supposed to be played by Andrew Garfield but he had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict and Elordi was drafted in at the last minute. As much as I love Garfield, this worked out for the best because Elordi has the perfect physicality for the role and he gives the performance of his career.
Isaac is charismatic and captivating as the crazed scientist, with a perfect period English accent to boot. He becomes frustrated that his creation isn’t a highly intelligent adult and callously casts it out. Mia Goth is stunning as his sister-in-law Elizabeth, who has a connection with the creature, and David Bradley makes an impactful appearance as a blind man who befriends him.
Del Toro’s film looks absolutely beautiful; so many shots made me gasp in awe, either at the epic scale, the production design, the creature make-up, the costumes or the effects (production and make-up should win Oscars). But it’s not for the faint of heart – it doesn’t flinch on the violence or the horror and there are a lot of gnarly, bloody moments.
Frankenstein is what cinema is all about! This is right up there with The Shape of Water as my favourite del Toro film.
Showing at the London Film Festival. In selected cinemas from 17th October and on Netflix from 7th November