Frankenstein (2025)
Extremely underwhelming. Isaac's performance was too hammy. The monster's design was too clean. A lot of nitpicky plot points make no sense (outside of being faithful to the material). Unnecessary love triangle. Unnecessary love between Elizabeth and the monster.
Take Shelley's Frankenstein. Remove all of the philosophical depth. No questions about mortality, creation, suffering, existence. Make it just a revenge plot.
That's this.
The more I watch of Del Toro the more I realize that the man should have as few creative liberties with a script as possible. He is just not a good script writer. He's a fantastic director with a keen visual eye and a great style. But the moment he starts writing everything goes by the wayside.
I really hoped for more out of this one. It pales when compared to Egger's Nosferatu.
Related long-form writing: Films of 2025: Short Reviews.
Originally published on Letterboxd. Browse all film reviews.