ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The “Frankenstein” story has been told in many different ways and been portrayed in many different movies throughout the decades (with my personal favorite being “Young Frankenstein”) and last week, director Guillermo Del Toro was able to release his take on the story on Netflix. Given Del Toro’s penchant for the weird and macabre, I was extremely interested in how he would bring the story to life, and I was ultimately not disappointed with what I saw.
For those who aren’t familiar, “Frankenstein” follows the life of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences when his monstrous creation (Jacob Elordi) comes to life.
I can’t do this review without talking about the casting because EVERYONE involved does a phenomenal job. Jacob Elordi is wonderful as the Creature and he is able to convey so much emotion in every scene he’s in, whether it’s his rather childlike innocence after he comes to life or his rage at the world after being abandoned again and again. And for a decent chunk of his screen time, the Creature can’t talk, meaning he has to convey whatever he’s thinking just through his facial expressions, and Elordi is able to do that so, so well. Elordi towers over basically everyone in the cast – physically and in other multiple ways – throughout the movie, and his take on the role is absolutely exceptional. I also can’t imagine the time and effort it took him every day to get into his makeup, because he looks amazing. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some recognition during the upcoming awards season, because he absolutely deserves it. Oscar Isaac is also fantastic and is able to capture so, so well the madness (or passion, depending on your viewpoint) that afflicts Victor as he goes about his project and then the remorse and regret said project begets as the years go on. He and Elordi have fantastic chemistry as the film’s two leads and to an extent, it almost feels like Isaac was born to do this role. Like Elordi, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some recognition during the upcoming awards season.
The only character I felt was rather wasted was the film’s leading lady, Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth), who is engaged to Victor’s brother in this adaptation. Throughout the movie, she shows a few glimmers of independence and spunk, but I felt there was a missed opportunity to REALLY do something with the character and do a deeper dive into her. However, I was so, so glad Del Toro didn’t go for the whole “leading lady betrays one brother for another” trope, or my eyes would have rolled back so far into my brain I would see my frontal lobe. Also, since I’m not really familiar with Mia Goth’s other filmography, I can’t really say she was miscast in terms of talent, but I do feel like there could have been more done with the character of Elizabeth as a whole.
I also can’t go about this review without talking about the film’s cinematography, which is a major specialty of Del Toro’s. He knows how to make viewers really FEEL the scene they’re watching, whether it’s set in the cold/snow, the rain, or the climactic laboratory. I felt EVERYTHING, and the atmosphere kept me drawn in for the entire film, making for a great viewing experience. From the limited research I’ve done, Del Toro’s been working on this project for multiple years now, and I could absolutely see those efforts – he definitely had a vision for how he wanted everything to look and feel, and he absolutely pulled it all off, particularly the scene where the Creature is brought to life. I also liked how while there is some gore and violence throughout the movie, it’s not just gore for gore’s sake (unlike the majority of slasher horror movies), and it’s also not super excessive – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this movie for children due to that aspect, but it’s not as though it’s scene after scene of blood and guts. Overall, Del Toro continues to be a cinematographic genius, and he deserves some recognition for what he was able to put together.
In terms of the story and screenplay, I also thought it was a good choice to “split” the movie into to parts and thought doing that really helped tell the story fully while letting Victor and the Creature each tell their side. I did feel there were a few moments where the movie dragged a little bit due to some extraneous exposition, but overall, the movie’s pacing is pretty solid at a runtime of slightly less than two and a half hours. I also thought the ending was done really well, and I’m not ashamed to admit a few tears were shed because it was just so well acted and executed.
Overall, I thought director Guillermo Del Toro put together a solid adaptation of the “Frankenstein” story and would give it an “A” grade. The cast was all VERY well chosen, especially leading men Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get some recognition during the upcoming awards season because they’re both absolutely wonderful in their respective roles. Del Toro also continues to be something of a cinematographic genius and is able to maintain the movie’s atmosphere throughout the entire movie and make viewers really feel each scene on screen – he definitely had a vision for this movie, and it came together wonderfully. I also felt there were multiple good choices made in terms of the story and screenplay, and while there could have been some tightening, the movie’s pacing is overall pretty solid, making for a great viewing experience. If you’re a fan of “Frankenstein” media and/or Del Toro’s other work, this is a great movie to cue up on Netflix.
