We were lucky enough to attend an early screening of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and to say we were excited is putting it lightly. Meaghan had been hyped for this film for months, and Arthur was just as eager. It’s not every day you get to see a movie you’ve been dying to watch ahead of its release, especially one from a director like del Toro.
The screening came courtesy of a local film festival that just happened to be playing it. Shoutout to Meaghan’s friend Shirin for the heads up, she’s the real MVP on this one.
Before we even got into the nitty-gritty of the movie, we were already seeing strong reviews come in. As of the recording, it was holding steady with a 7.3 on IMDb, 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 3.6 on Letterboxd. Pretty solid numbers for something that hadn’t even hit Netflix yet (it’s dropping there on November 7, for those wondering).
The fact that it’s getting a limited theatrical release first was great news. There’s just something about seeing a beautifully crafted film like this on the big screen that elevates the whole experience. Even though our screening wasn’t in an IMAX or anything, it still delivered.
A Love Letter to Gothic Horror and Visual Storytelling
Meaghan put it best when she said that Guillermo del Toro has a way of finding beauty in the grotesque. That’s really the heartbeat of Frankenstein. The film is haunting, yes, but it’s also strangely emotional and stunning to look at. It’s packed with atmosphere, rich textures, and the kind of cinematography that makes you want to pause the movie just to admire the frame.
The sets were actually built, yes, built, not green-screened. The laboratory, the ship, everything felt grounded and real. It’s the kind of craftsmanship you just don’t see every day. Del Toro reportedly refused digital sets, and it shows.
You can feel the weight and texture in every corner of this film. It’s him and Robert Eggers holding the line for practical filmmaking, and we are so here for it.
As far as the story goes, there aren’t any wild spoilers to worry about. We all know the general plot of Frankenstein. What stood out wasn’t the twist or the turns, but how deeply the themes were explored.
The performances were phenomenal across the board, especially Jacob Elordi as the monster and Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein. They embodied these roles in a way that made you feel every emotional beat.
Cast, Characters, and Chemistry
Let’s just say this: Elordi and Isaac were perfectly cast. Jacob Elordi brings a heartbreaking humanity to the monster, and he makes you feel for this character who’s rejected simply for existing. The height, the physicality, the voice, everything just worked.
You wouldn’t believe he only had a few weeks of prep because Andrew Garfield was originally cast. The makeup team even spent nine months designing the look for Garfield before plans changed due to scheduling. Elordi stepped in last minute, and still, somehow, he nailed it.
Oscar Isaac, on the other hand, was del Toro’s one and only pick for Victor. No backup plan. Just Oscar or bust. And it worked. He played Victor with this ego-drenched swagger that felt less like a scientist and more like a rock star.
That decision was intentional, del Toro said he wanted Victor to have that larger-than-life energy. The result? A character who’s mesmerizing to watch but deeply flawed, driven by a god complex that spirals out of control.
Let’s not forget the rest of the cast. Mia Goth plays Elizabeth with a quiet intensity that fits beautifully into the film’s tone. She doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.
And Christoph Waltz does what he always does, he steals every scene with this smooth, unaffected style that makes him unpredictable and strangely magnetic.
From Page to Screen: Faithful But Fresh
Of course, we had to have a little history moment. Meaghan gave a quick crash course on the origins of Frankenstein, originally published in 1818 by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
Most people don’t know that it came out as a serialized story and was the product of a friendly horror-writing contest between Mary, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori (who, fun fact, wrote one of the earliest vampire stories). That infamous weekend trip in 1816 birthed Frankenstein, which was meant to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the isolation of being misunderstood.
The movie sticks to a lot of the core themes and moments from the novel, but of course, it takes creative liberties. We didn’t go into specifics because the experience is better if you discover the changes yourself. But rest assured, the spirit of the original is alive and well. Del Toro just adds his own flair, his own love letter to the misunderstood monster, the tormented creator, and the moral gray space in between.
One of the most poignant themes that really came through in the film was how the monster is feared and hated not for anything he does, but simply for existing. That hits hard. There’s violence, sure, but most of it comes from the monster defending himself. It’s not about shock value. It’s about tragedy, empathy, and what it means to be truly alone.
Behind the Scenes & Fun Facts
We always love getting into the trivia.
The makeup for the monster took a grueling 10 hours to apply, and Jacob Elordi had to come in at 10PM to start the process so he’d be ready to shoot the next day. That’s commitment. And he loved it. He said it was the most at home he’s ever felt in a role, which explains why his performance felt so natural.
Doug Jones was once attached to play the monster back in the 90s when del Toro first had the idea. Not surprising since they’ve collaborated so many times.
And the rumor is that del Toro was once going to make this part of Universal’s “Dark Universe” before that whole thing imploded post-The Mummy. Lucky for us, he held onto the vision and turned it into something far more meaningful.
There was even talk at one point about doing three separate films, each from the perspective of Victor, the monster, and the captain. But del Toro ultimately folded all three perspectives into one cohesive story. It’s long, two and a half hours, but it never feels bloated. The pacing is sharp, and every scene feels purposeful.
The costume design also deserves a shoutout. Oscar Isaac’s outfits are straight-up art. There’s this hat he wears that Meaghan now wants him to wear forever. It’s that good. Every costume felt intentional, and they helped build a world that felt real even when it was strange and gothic.
Wrapping Up: A Modern Classic in the Making
When it comes down to it, this version of Frankenstein is something special. It doesn’t try to reinvent the story just for the sake of being different. Instead, it embraces what works and brings a deeply emotional, visually stunning take to the table. It’s gothic horror with heart, style, and a ton of substance.
We’re in this moment right now where studios are revisiting classic monster stories with fresh eyes. Maggie Gyllenhaal is releasing her Bride of Frankenstein adaptation soon, and that one’s going full Bonnie and Clyde. That’s exciting in a different way.
But what del Toro has given us here is a Frankenstein that feels timeless. We’re going to be talking about this one for years.
We’re definitely planning to rewatch it when it drops on Netflix. And if it hits a local theater, we’d go again in a heartbeat just to see it on a bigger screen.
This one’s for the horror lovers, the gothic freaks, the fans of sad monsters and beautiful tragedies. If that’s you, do yourself a favor and don’t miss it.