Venice Review: ‘Frankenstein’
Eight years after ‘The Shape of Water’ premiered at Venice and went on to win the Golden Lion and the Best Picture Oscar, Guillermo del Toro returns this year to the Lido with one of the festival’s most anticipated titles: his long-gestating adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’. Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth, the film brings Mary Shelley’s novel back to life. But does it live up to the expectations?
Del Toro opens his fable with a chilling prelude: a frozen landscape, men struggling to free a stranded boat with an eerie score that immediately sets the tone. What follows is brutal and unflinching, as the creature unleashes violence upon the crew for an obscure reason. It’s a harrowing introduction, one that situates the film in horror before it expands into something richer. The craft’s quality here is on par with Del Toro’s past outings. Dan Laustsen’s cinematography stands out instantly, draping the story in a gothic veil. Del Toro has always excelled in world-building, but here the atmosphere is richly layered and instantly immersive. Alexandre Desplat’s score, at once eerie and grand, blends seamlessly into this vision, further establishing the otherworldly immersion.
At its core, Frankenstein is less about spectacle than about the fraught line between creator and creation. Del Toro grounds this philosophical tension: Elordi’s creature begins with innocence and a desperate hunger for purpose, only to be shattered by the cruelty of the world. He is also willing to learn and improve himself. One of his most meaningful encounters will be with an old man, who will quickly become the mentor he couldn’t find in its creator. The creature’s evolution culminates in a chilling reversal of power with Victor: “You may be my creator, but from this day forward, I will be your master.” What initially appears to be a familiar mad-scientist tale progressively transforms into something altogether epic in scale. An exploration of morality, mortality and the blurred boundaries of creation.
As for the cast, Oscar Isaac embodies Victor Frankenstein with sharp precision as a man of science consumed by his obsession with overcoming death. His performance is morally conflicted, constantly questioning his motives and actions. Though it is Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth who emerge as the true standouts. Elordi avoids caricature, grounding the monster in a humanity that makes his tragedy resonate even more deeply. His physicality and voice work here are mesmerizing. Goth, meanwhile, portrays Elizabeth with grace and gravitas, elevating her from a supporting role into the film’s emotional anchor. The bond she forms with Elordi’s creature offers the first moments of true kindness he got to experience. Her quiet determination cuts through the gothic gloom, even in her silences.
With its mix of technical brilliance, richly drawn characters and immersive world-building, Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ is not just another retelling of the classic novel, it is a fantasy epic destined for the big screen. A haunting yet beautiful work that reaffirms del Toro’s place as one of modern cinema’s great visionaries.
Rating: 4/5
Frankenstein will be released in select theaters on October 17 before streaming on Netflix on November 7.
