Frankenstein - AFF Review

★★★★

Guillermo del Toro’s brand-new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein continues his partnership with Netflix after his Academy Award-winning Pinocchio and the horror anthology series Cabinet of Curiosities, both released in 2022. While the film will be premiering on Netflix’s streaming platform on November 7th, Adelaide Film Festival are presenting two screenings before a brief theatrical release on October 23rd.

With such a prolific director tackling one of the most famous books of all time, Frankenstein has a lot of expectations riding on it from both fans and casual viewers. Although there have been hundreds of adaptations of Shelley’s original story, many fans of the book feel that we still haven’t gotten a truly faithful version on the silver screen. So, has Guillermo del Toro finally done it?

del Toro, G. (Director, Writer). (2025). Frankenstein [Film]. Double Dare You.

Yes and no. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In my opinion, the book as it is is almost impossible to adapt to film. The structure is very specific to its original medium, and certain sections of the book will always have to be left out unless the director wants to deliver a modern 4-hour epic that will likely drive away general audiences (though that would be a treat). While del Toro includes many of the original elements of the 1818 book that were an absolute joy to see on film, what he has really done is mish-mash, swap around and stitch together (Frankensteined-together if you will) a version of the story that still stays true to the essence of the book while being its own thing.

Even from my hazy memory of reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at thirteen and being scared out of my mind, it was obvious to me that there were some huge changes made in this new adaptation. I won’t list them all here as there are many surprises that will go best unspoiled, but in particular the character of Elizabeth, played by Mia Goth, is given much more play in this version. The dynamic between her and Victor Frankenstein is vastly different, but it works in its own way to help drive del Toro’s vision for the film.

Guillermo del Toro takes many cues from Mary Shelley’s original interpretation, but it is clear that as a filmmaker he has his own goal with this story and what he wants to say about Frankenstein, his monster, and the dynamic between them. I believe that this is an excellent way to approach adaptation - after all, if you want to experience the original story in its most authentic form possible, you should just read the book. Guillermo del Toro remixes Frankenstein in his own way, and while not all of it works, it makes up for it by all the things it gets right.

The performances, while made up of quite a few famous faces, are successful at immersing the audience into this gothic world. Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein and his monster are particularly convincing, and the film smartly plays into this strength by narrowing its focus on their relationship. Victor Frankenstein is equal parts charming and cruel, and Isaac expertly switches between the two. Elordi’s creature also balances his performance with moments of overwhelming physical power contrasted with childlike wonder.

The visuals are also a standout, with some truly spectacular special effects. The scenes where practical effects are utilised are delightfully horrific and create a disgusting tactile atmosphere. The CGI can be a little iffy at times, but this will likely be less noticeable when watching at home on Netflix. However, I do think that this is a movie that absolutely benefits from being seen in a cinema, and it’s disappointing that the theatrical window isn’t longer and most people will be watching on their TV or laptop.

Overall, I had a great time with Frankenstein. It made me feel horrible and filled with dread which is exactly how I remember feeling reading the book all those years ago. While I thought that some of the choices regarding how the third act unfolds lessened the impact of key moments, I still left the cinema feeling very satisfied with this take on the classic tale.

Rating: 4/5