Gothic movies are on the rise. “Frankenstein” is a 2025 retelling of the original 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. The movie itself is visually stunning and emotionally captivating. The costumes, set design, dialogue, and acting make you feel as if you’re in the time era.
The American Gothic science fiction film was produced, written, and directed by Guillermo del Toro and is available on Netflix.
Del Toro did an amazing job immersing us in the story. When you watch, you really feel as if you can see the drama and the suspense. When you think you know the story already, this retelling emphasizes the emotions and places you in the story. This rendition is not like every other adaptation of the story. The story of Frankenstein represents the cycle of abuse. Frankenstein’s monster is an abused “child” who continues the cycle of violence and symbolizes general trauma.
Going into it, other people and I doubted Jacob Elordi’s ability to play a classic character, “The Monster.” Seeing him in his most well-known role as Nate Jacobs in “Euphoria.”
I am proud to say I was wrong to be doubtful that his acting is undeniably fantastic in the film. Despite being repeatedly cast as a playboy, Elordi plays the part of “The Monster” so well. His performance is raw and tragic. Elordi does a great job in his acting. You truly feel as if he were a monster just created, learning everything for the first time.
Mia Goth’s role as Lady Elizabeth is stunning. She does an amazing job of keeping her character accurate to the original rendition. You can feel the love and care Elizabeth has towards “The Monster,” which makes the film more emotional, and it allows the viewer to invest their emotions into the story.
Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein ties the story all together. Victor is a man who grew up having so many extreme expectations of who he was supposed to be since he was born. This causes him to want to overcome death entirely. This film was how I was exposed to Oscar Issac, and I can say he’s a great actor.
You can feel the emotion Victor has. He’s so passionate about his goals, but you can also feel how hateful a man he is. Victor’s sole goal is to overcome death. When his attempt doesn’t go the way he hopes it does, he becomes a bitter hateful man. Issac’s delivery as Victor Frankenstein really encapsulates the original intent of the 1818 story.
Though it’s a beautiful film, it’s definitely slow and possibly hard to understand if you struggle with understanding the dialect. The film spans nearly three hours, so it might steer viewers away. If you have the time, definitely invest in the movie, it’s completely worth it. You can feel the passion Guillermo del Toro has for this film.
