Frankenstein brings deceased audiences back to life
Although Halloween may be over, Guillermo del Toro delivered a thrilling film, “Frankenstein,” to Netflix on November 8th, bringing an eerie vibe back into the fall atmosphere.
Starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, the cast was filled with talent and the acting felt authentic, unlike many newer films.
Prior to watching, I was intrigued because I had never watched or read a “Frankenstein” story but the trailer didn’t seem exceptionally interesting to me. I won’t lie, I was originally drawn to watch this movie simply because of Jacob Elordi, who has previously starred in “The Kissing Booth” and “Saltburn.” I felt a bit disappointed when I realized he was the monster and his face would not actually be shown throughout the movie. However, considering this, the prosthetics appeared life-like and truly resembled the qualities of a monster. Although his actual face wasn’t shown, his eyes conveyed emotion throughout the film which made the monster more human-like.
This movie opens at the end of the plot where soldiers working on a ship in the arctic find an injured Frankenstein, the scientist, with his monster following him. From here, the audience moves back in time as Frankenstein explains his life story to the captain, from his traumatic childhood to the haunted creation of his monster. The frame story style of this film led to a tense reenactment of the past and was split into the Prelude, Victor’s Tale and The Creature’s Tale.
My least favorite part of this movie was Victor’s Tale because I found his creation of the monster and dissecting of body parts to be too drawn out. Additionally, it was hard to watch his character develop into a maniac throughout the movie and make horrible decisions for the sake of creating a monster. If this section had been shorter, the storyline could have been more captivating and the screen time could be reduced from its tedious 2 hours and 29 minutes.
Besides this, the film was more moving than I originally anticipated because the monster had good-natured characteristics but was misunderstood, which parallels the way Frankenstein was treated as a child. After watching Victor’s Tale, the audience can connect Frankenstein’s actions to an overarching theme of the effects of generational trauma. A few parts were gory, but the tale mainly encompasses feelings of morality and leads the audience to question Frankenstein’s experiments.
I understand why this book is regularly analyzed in English classes, as it truly gives you a lot to consider about what it means to be human. Although the movie is set in 1857, the film encapsulates elements of human nature from Elizabeth’s portrayal of a lack of freedom to the monster’s desire for belonging, which are still relevant in our society. Imagery of the color red is used throughout the film, symbolizing hidden emotions in their world.
“Frankenstein” had a similar composition to the series “Wednesday” on Netflix and I would recommend this movie to any mysterious film lovers who are looking for an emotional experience. I would rank this movie a seven out of 10 because the unethical elements of Frankenstein’s experiments and behavior made it hard for me to watch, but it was beautifully made. If you’re looking for a touching yet gruesome film, “Frankenstein” is for you.
