Writer/director Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) realizes his dream project of adapting Frankenstein, and the result is a masterful, atmospheric horror drama with a soul and featuring some stellar performances.
In the mid-19th century near the Arctic north, a ship encounters Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) on the ice being pursued by a mysterious, powerful figure. The story behind this starts in Frankenstein’s traumatic youth with his strict surgeon father and fragile mother. As an adult, Victor is obsessed with life and death to the point he wants to create life from dead human remains. Branded a heretic, he finds an ally (Christoph Waltz) who finances his experiments which culminate in the creation of a living man/creature (Jacob Elordi), one who Victor attempts to communicate and study. When his brother William visits with his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mia Goth) it complicates matters. Victor is torn for his feelings for Elizabeth and the disposition of his creature, who is virtually invulnerable. What follows is a harrowing odyssey of survival for the creature and Victor whose paths must cross.
It’s a fascinating take on the classic novel told in bold strokes as flashbacks and divided into chapters. The story unfolds in such a grand style that almost distracts from the narrative. The cast is led by Isaac and especially Elordi who must physically emote the tortured creature, pantomiming as wordless, childlike, then intelligent who slowly develops into a sympathetic character full of pathos.
Everything
in this production exudes a gothic style
superbly mounted in set design and costumes all gorgeously filmed as
expected from the creator of Pan’s
Labyrinth. Comparing favorably with The Bride of Frankenstein and TV’s Frankenstein: The True Story, it’s one
of del Toro’s best films and a triumph of cinematic vision.
****1/2
of ***** stars Netflix
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