Frankenstein2025

74/100 Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, is one of the earliest science fiction stories ever told, and now, Guillermo del Toro brings us a great adaptation for the modern day. Of course, a Guillermo del Toro film will have a certain amount of attention to the direction, but the acting here is also superb. Jacob Isaac in particular is great as Victor Frankenstein. There are subtleties to the way he acts as this narcissistic yet curious scientist, equally unprepared for the consequences and benefits of his actions. I enjoyed the subtle touches of Freudian logic here, such as him constantly drinking milk and the fact that his love interest, the unattainable Elizabeth, resembles his mother. Mia Goth's performance is also good, even if I do find the "too good for this world" thing a bit tiring after a while. The star is, of course, Jacob Elordi as the Monster. I can see why he was cast, as he has this way of showing the pain through his expressions and body language, right down to his eyes. He disappears into the creature, and it creates this very tragic figure. However, the strength of the movie is that it is both compelling from a narrative standpoint and highly entertaining. There is a gothic atmosphere throughout which I feel could've benefited from a more gothic style but still works for a more haunting effect. The practical effects and direction are of course superb as usual, especially the monster's fragmented body. There are a ton of gory action setpieces throughout which work quite well. The story is good too, taking liberties from the novel, but working in its own way for the different direction Del Toro wanted to take the story. The only major issue I have is how rushed the ending feels. The film does a brilliant job at showing the hatred the Monster and Frankenstein feel for each other throughout, but doesn't quite build up their reconciliation properly, making it feel like we missed a few crucial scenes. Despite this, the film is still very good. I know there has been a bit more controversy on this since it first came out, it's certainly a film people are divided on, but I feel it is good enough, if nothing spectacular, and sure to satisfy any horror or sci-fi fans.