Sympathy for the monster.

Doctor Victor Frankenstein seeks to redeem himself in the eyes of his father by unlocking the secret of immortality. But his experiments create a creature that, in his eyes, is devoid of intelligence.

Written for the screen and directed by visionary director Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein is an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s master work of the same name. Starring Oscar Isaac (Dune), Mia Goth (MaXXXine), Christoph Waltz (No Time to Die), Jacob Elordi (Priscilla), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones).

Director Guillermo Del Toro has a great love of monsters. Many of his movies have a great affection for the inhuman, the monstrous minority, and how they are treated. Often showing the humans as the darker entities than their monstrous counterparts. From the comic book trappings of Hellboy, the Spanish Civil War background of Pan’s Labyrinth, to the tortured souls in The Shape of Water. It would be no surprise to anyone that Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein has a huge place in his heart. Indeed, his monster museum Bleak House has a massive Frankenstein’s monster head suspended over the lobby. So to say Del Toro is an authority on the subject would be an understatement.

But does this Netflix-production have everything we asked for, or is it misdirected fanboy’ism? It is mostly the former.

Honestly, it is difficult to fault Del Toro’s magnum opus. Running at two hours and thirty minutes it is a long movie, and yet honestly I could have had more. It isn’t a one-to-one adaptation of the book, either. This is an adaptation seen through Del Toro’s lens. However, Shelley’s book is not easy to adapt in the first place; all of it being diary entries that account the story’s events. So some creative leniency and freedom should be expected. The director’s sympathy for monsters has ironed out some of the creature’s duality seen in the book.

But, those are the negatives. The rest is resoundingly positive. Here is an adaptation wholly its own. Frankenstein’s story has been told before, of course, with Karlov’s seminal role in 1931. Then again in 1994, the until-recently regarded definitive adaptation Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by Kenneth Branagh. But both of these have taken greater liberties, or taken from other contemporary media, for their vision. I would argue that Del Toro’s, though still an adaptation, is purer in its intentions.

The film is broken into parts, as fitting as it could be to the book’s diary entries. We find Victor Frankenstein (Isaac) mortally injured and rescued by the crew of an ice-laden ship. He explains his story, and about the monster he created, to their captain. These different parts and perspectives are long and do not affect the placing particularly.
The film is gorgeous to look at, as you might expect. Even Crimson Peak (perhaps the director’s lesser movie) looked amazing. But here is a smorgasbord of beautiful sets and interiors. Stuffed with details, wear and tear. From the creepy dungeons and laboratories we expect, to the lavish homes and humble cottages. Colours and costumes are two of Del Toro’s incredible focuses. Most notable is Mia Goth’s costumes, which gradually change colour as the story shifts and her agency evolves.

Oscar Isaac has done unorthodox and unhinged before, and he fits the mould of both wide-eyed and plotting scientist very well. From his unveiling of his work in a crowded amphitheatre, to chasing his demons through ice fields. The supporting cast are all suited for their roles. Charles Dance as Victor’s father during childhood flashbacks, and Jacob Elordi as the creature. Surely Elordi will get a lot of attention after this.

We are in for a cerebral experience with Del Toro at the helm. But just because the sympathy for the monster is maintained, doesn’t mean that action doesn’t occur. Quite the contrary. Elordi’s creature has a fierce rage within, and more than a couple of occasions we see this unleashed on hapless humans with terrifying effect. Lest we forget, among the Victorian trappings, that the director is very good at gore. This film has some very unpleasant injury detail, deaths, and of course… surgery.

There is such attention to detail in the director’s visual language. For example, a scene with Victor working on a prototype, sees the spinal column bent over. Red and ribbed. We receive a reverse shot of this scene, with Elizabeth (Goth) leaning forward to look, her red dress’s bodice having the same visual language as the spinal column. The film is packed with symmetry and visual metaphor.

Ultimately, this is an excellent movie and an excellent adaptation of the source. It may not be a one-to-one reproduction, but it can be argued that it is the closest we’ve had. Audiences can expect to be wowed, grossed out, and intrigued by the characters and their diabolical agencies.

It is infuriating that this has a limited release in cinemas. I was very fortunate indeed to see this on the big screen. But if you missed it, it will be available on Netflix.