Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is the kind of film that reminds you why he’s one of the most visionary directors working today.
Though it’s a Netflix release, this is a movie made for the big screen. If you get the chance to see it in a theater, take it. Del Toro’s visual storytelling has never looked better in IMAX. Every frame feels deliberate and alive, with the camera always revealing something just beyond the center. It’s cinematic craftsmanship at its finest, and at two and a half hours, “Frankenstein” is ambitious, but mostly rewarding.
It opens near the North Pole, where Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac, is found bloodied and half-frozen by a group of explorers. They soon realize something is out there in the icy dark, screaming Victor’s name. From there, the story unfolds through Victor’s memories as he recounts how his monster came to life.
We see his early years marked by tragedy, his mother’s death, and his tense relationship with his brilliant but cruel father, played by Charles Dance. When Victor meets a wealthy patron, Harlander, portrayed by Christoph Waltz, his obsession takes shape. With money, tools, and unshakable ambition, he begins building a body from the dead. When lightning finally strikes, the creature lives.
Jacob Elordi plays the creature with incredible physicality and depth. Beneath layers of makeup, his movement and eyes tell a story of pain, innocence, and discovery. He is terrifying and heartbreaking, often in the same moment. When Victor realizes the gravity of what he’s done, the film becomes a haunting meditation on creation and consequence that only del Toro could pull off.
The film slows as the monster recalls learning language and philosophy from a blind man played beautifully by David Bradley. These scenes are tender and moving, showing the creature as more human than monster, but the pacing dips here, while the emotion stays strong.
Visually, the film is stunning. Dan Laustsen’s cinematography is rich with shadow and texture. The production design by Tamara Deverell and costumes by Kate Hawley are works of art. Every set feels handcrafted, every costume tailored to the story’s sense of decay and beauty. The editing by Evan Schiff gives the film a rhythmic flow that keeps you immersed even when the story quiets.
Oscar Isaac is electrifying as Victor Frankenstein, capturing his genius and madness with equal power. His eyes convey the weight of obsession, particularly in quiet, chilling moments like when he wakes to find the creature lurking around his room. Mia Goth brings her signature intensity to Elizabeth, though her role feels slightly underused. There’s a longing for more connection between her character and the monster that could have added another emotional layer.
The violence is graphic and surprisingly brutal, echoing “Pan’s Labyrinth” with its mix of beauty and horror. There are moments that will make audiences gasp, but none of it feels gratuitous. It’s part of the world’s texture, grounded in the physical and emotional toll of playing god.
While the third act doesn’t quite reach the emotional crescendo it builds toward, the film remains captivating until the final frame.
The audience I saw it with was completely locked in, reacting to every moment. This is event cinema done right, so if you’re watching from home on Netflix, dim the lights, silence your phone, and let yourself be drawn into del Toro’s haunting, beautiful world.
Watch the full review now on The Wandering Screen with Matt Koss on YouTube.
Letter grade: A