“Frankenstein” follows a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a monstrous creature to life.
From the opening shot, “Frankenstein” is breathtakingly beautiful. Through the color grading and cinematography itself, each frame manages to impress. With its bold and vibrant colors, “Frankenstein” is a movie that demands to be seen on the big screen. It’s a shame so many viewers are relegated to watching it on Netflix.
Guillermo del Toro’s direction plays a large part in this, capturing the gothic details of each setting to near perfection. With a constantly panning camera, “Frankenstein” remains visually stimulating from beginning to end.
Visual Splendor Meets Narrative Drag
Practical effects and VFX allow the vision to fully come to life. The makeup and prosthetics are the standout, but “Frankenstein” also features genuinely impressive CGI. The film blends these elements beautifully more often than not, culminating in shots that are horrifically… stunning.
Beauty doesn’t always mean masterpiece, though. The visual prowess of “Frankenstein” is often wasted in a meandering plot that feels both sluggish and rushed.
After the first act, “Frankenstein” struggles to find its footing. It shifts between melodramatic and suspenseful tones that don’t mix. Because of this, the second act is a drag to get through. This issue then abruptly flips in the opposite direction as the movie nears its conclusion. Many developments feel rushed… and ultimately unearned.
“Frankenstein” is too long. At 149 minutes, it sprawls through an abundance of ideas, with few of them actually sticking.
Themes That Ring Hollow
While the film aims to deeply explore the “creator versus creation” theme, it rings hollow by the time the credits roll. Rather than portraying a monster, the movie tries to gain sympathy by surrounding the creature with corrupt human characters. This gives many of the overarching arcs a glossy, simplified outcome.
It’s a tragic tale, sure. But this approach eliminates any real emotional weight from the core conflict.
“Frankenstein” further minimizes its themes by speaking directly at the audience. This reaches laughably generic territory when a character flat out tells Victor Frankenstein, “You are the monster.”
“Frankenstein” tells its story in non-linear fashion, utilizing constant flashbacks and narration to move things along. This works in isolated moments, but mostly falters. It eliminates tension from the film’s most important sequences, halting momentum in the process.
A Compelling Creature, Diluted
Even if this structure creates many of the movie’s faults, it’s also one of the most interesting aspects of “Frankenstein.” The film gives the creature a voice and follows its story for large stretches of the runtime. While remaining faithful to Mary Shelley’s original work, this choice allows the movie to distinguish itself.
The design of the creature will certainly be controversial. More human-like than ever, “Frankenstein” hardly features a “monster.” While the prosthetics and makeup on Jacob Elordi are well-done, they’re too subtle. There’s a clear monster in “Frankenstein,” and this design choice ends up reinforcing the movie’s overly simplified approach.
This isn’t the fault of Elordi, who brings an effective, heavy cadence to the role. His dialogue often echoes with emotional weight.
Oscar Isaac (Victor Frankenstein) and Mia Goth (Elizabeth Lavenza) succeed as well. Isaac is magnetic, constantly showcasing a larger-than-life presence. Goth brings emotion, doing a lot of heavy lifting through expression and delivery.
“Frankenstein” is undoubtedly beautiful, but that’s about all. It’s both overlong and rushed, losing focus of its core themes in the process. With a half-baked approach, “Frankenstein” misses the mark.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
