A near-flawless stroke of genius by one of the best directors working in cinema today -- Guillermo Del Toro's **FRANKENSTEIN**, a long gestating passion project is a gothic masterpiece that celebrates its literary origins while offering viewers a sumptuous, Victorian period-piece that both horrifies and fascinates.
Del Toro's cast -- Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi's The Creature, Christoph Waltz's Henrich Harlander, Lars Mikkelsen's Captain Anderson, Felix Kammerer's William Frankenstein and Mia Goth's Elizabeth Harlander -- stand up wonderfully to the sumptuous set pieces, incredible make-up work, gorgeous cinematography and creature effects that with a less-talented cast could easily be upstaged by all the splendour.
Del Toro's take on the story very much aligns with the 1818 novel ***Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus*** by Mary Shelley, as evidenced by the backstory of a young Victor Frankenstein's affluent upbringing by a cold and domineering father and the tragic death of his mother.
(There's an intentional double-casting in this film from Del Toro that hits directly on the nose that carries with it psychological underpinnings of Isaac's portrayal of Frankenstein that almost ensures endless examinations through Freudian and Jungian lenses -- adding another layer to an already multitudinous take on the story).
Though the story is a familiar one, Del Toro's characteristic style for the macabre, radiates with brilliance and gothic terror throughout this film which seems more prescient than ever for the questions it poses more than 200 years after Shelley's novel about existence, sentience, and consent.
The shadow Del Toro casts over the mythos of Frankenstein here might stretch for so long that Maggie Gyllenhaal's upcoming **THE BRIDE** (2026) starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley could be doomed before it even gets off the operating table.
Such a shame that the lion's share of viewers (such as myself) had to condescend to see the film on the small screen, despite its very grandiose and epic proportions. It is a beautiful film to look at -- and even richer film to absorb, powered by Del Toro's meticulousness and the performances of Isaac and Elordi.
Could it be a Best Picture contender this year? I wouldn't bet against Del Toro...