Frankenstein is currently playing as part of the BFI London Film Festival and will stream exclusively on Netflix from November 7, 2025.
Synopsis
A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a monstrous creature to life in a daring experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
Review
For the last 20 to 30 years, Guillermo del Toro has set his sights on adapting Mary Shelley’s iconic novel Frankenstein to the big screen. Now, in 2025, his passion project has finally seen the light of day with a star-studded cast and financial backing from none other than Netflix. The question is, though, after all these years, has this dream project paid off?
The first thing that must be stated is that Frankenstein certainly looks and sounds the part. Every penny is on the screen here, and there is no denying how extravagant it looks as del Toro has used every skill and tool at his disposal to make this film as grand and provocative as it can be. The cinematography, as expected, is incredible, which, along with the immaculate production design, effortlessly immerses you in the world del Toro has created. Meanwhile, Alexandre Desplat once again lends his work to the score, mixing the haunting with the melancholic.
Del Toro’s love for the gothic and the grotesque is also just as apparent here as it is in the rest of his filmography. Though the fantastical imagery, compared to previous works such as Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak, is more subdued here, it is still prevalent nonetheless. There is much more of a focus on gore and body horror this time around, yet it is all in place of the characters and story. There are some truly effective set pieces throughout the film that never detract from the tone and atmosphere, instead feeling like necessary evils to propel the narrative along.
Coming in at a sizeable 2 hours and 30 minutes, which can seem daunting to many, the film never once outstays its welcome. There are one or two instances where the pacing drags ever so slightly, but even those moments feel purposeful in the long run. Del Toro makes the wise choice to split the film’s narrative into two halves. This both works brilliantly from a storytelling perspective, but also helps justify and spread out the film’s length. The first half is Frankenstein’s story, and the second half is from the perspective of the creature. It’s a simple structural choice that pays off in reinforcing these two characters’ ideologies and the core themes surrounding life, death and purpose.
However, none of this would work if the performances didn’t deliver, and thankfully, they all do. Oscar Isaac is electric as Victor Frankenstein, as he infuses an eccentric flair and giddiness to his portrayal of the character that makes him endlessly watchable from scene to scene. On the other hand, you have Jacob Elordi, who completely disappears into the role of the monster. The balance of innocence and brooding intimidation is a hard one to master, but Elordi handles both with ease. There’s also the likes of Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth and David Bradley who all bring a needed depth to their characters even if their screentime is short-lived.
Frankenstein is a true labour of love from everyone involved. Some may think that large-scale, auteur-driven films are a dying art, but Guillermo del Toro is here to prove that they’re still around and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Everything from the cast to the production design to the score, and especially the direction, is as masterful as ever, resulting in one of the year’s best films.
Verdict
Guillermo del Toro pours his heart and soul into this incredibly faithful adaptation. If you get the opportunity, see this on the biggest screen possible, as watching it from home won’t do its scale and majesty justice.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
