Guillermo del Toro is one of the greatest filmmakers when it comes to horror themes and monster films, with The Shape of Water being one of the greatest updates of Creature from the Black Lagoon, albeit without the actual IP. His work on Hellboy helped raise the profile of the comic with his amazing films and now del Toro has turned his attention to a classic tale. With Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro has reached new heights of brilliant storytelling.
del Toro’s Frankenstein is mostly faithful to the original book, but does make a few changes that do not ultimately hurt the story. What we have instead is a visually stunning and well written film that needs to be seen on the big screen in theaters. The soundtrack worked so well in concert with everything on screen to create one of the most memorable filmgoing experiences in years. Sadly, this is only getting a limited run before coming to Netflix, but the experience in the theater cannot be matched.
del Toro’s Frankenstein has a perfect cast, led by Oscar Isaac as the mad doctor and Jacob Elordi as the monster, and all do a fantastic job in their roles. I do need to note this is not a fast paced big action horror film, but a slower paced gothic romantic horror/sci fi film like the original tale. That being said, elements of other adaptations also show up in this work as well, including ideas taken from the Frankenstein series of films by Hammer Studios, one of my personal favourite series based on the IP, the Universal films and even the Toho Frankenstein films.
What results is one of the best takes on the story in years, and a massive improvement over del Toro’s previous Gothic horror film Crimson Peak, in how it balances its themes much better. The body horror is shown in detail, while still managing to leave much to the imagination, and the characterization of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and the rest all are handled spectacularly. The film is a bit long, and some may have an issue with its pacing, but I personally loved every minute of it.
del Toro’s Frankenstein is what happens when a die hard fan of a story is given proper time and resources to make a passion project, and care and attention is put into every aspect of the product. The cinematography is some of the best, and the set designs and wardrobes are done well. del Toro’s Frankenstein feels like an older classic film that just happened to be made with today’s resources, but retaining that old school mentality.
Fans of almost any version of Frankenstein will have something to love with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and has joined the list of my favourite adaptations of the story. I would even go so far as to say that Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is my favourite movie of the year, and perhaps one of the best films of the last decade. Horror fans have plenty to watch lately, but Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is not one to miss. This is filmmaking at its best and everything came together just right. A masterpiece.
