‘Frankenstein’ Review: Guillermo del Toro Delivers A Bold and Stunning Adaptation

From Double Dare You (DDY), Demilo Films, & Bluegrass Films, Frankenstein is the latest film from 3-time Oscar-winning writer/director Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth). A frequent Netflix collaborator, del Toro most recently took his first animated feature film, Pinocchio, for a sweep of awards season, winning the Oscar, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, & Golden Globe for Best Animated Film of 2022.

Adapted from Mary Shelley’s gothic horror classic, with a screenplay by del Toro himself, the story focuses on the life and creations of the brilliant but egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). With a relentless pursuit of creating new life, his latest experiment in the form of The Creature (Jacob Elordi) comes alive with immense strength and a rapid healing ability. Disappointed in his intellect & fearful of the threat he poses, Victor attempts to destroy his creation, but the Creature manages to escape to the local countryside. Discovering his immortality in a world that has cast him out, the Creature sets out on a collision course with his creator.

Much like the questions I posed when Guillermo del Toro took on a new version of the timeless tale of Pinocchio, I had cynical thoughts about GDT setting Frankenstein as his next project: “Don’t we all have a version of this story that we grew up on and already appreciate?” “What would make this one so special?” “Hasn’t del Toro made a version of the Frankenstein story with several, if not all, of his films? Won’t this seem like a retread for his filmography?”

But, much like seeing GDT’s award-winning version of Pinocchio, you soon realize that del Toro’s passion for the source material, the core tenets of humanity’s response to those that are different or challenging, and his relationship to obsession & creation make him the best person to translate this material for modern audiences.

FRANKENSTEIN. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein. Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.

With James Whale’s 1931 Universal Monster classic giving us the iconic figures and Kenneth Branagh’s faithful yet flawed version following closest to the novel, Guillermo del Toro gave us what we didn’t know we needed: a definitive cinematic take on the classic story that combines the contemplations on what makes us human with del Toro’s unique brand of spirituality, romance, compassion, & ethics.

For a man with a Frankenstein room in his home, you would think he would be more reluctant to alter the work that he holds so dear. However, his script deviates quite a bit including inventing new characters (such as Christophe Waltz’s Harlander), changing the role of old characters (such as Mia Goth’s Elizabeth who is the fiancé of Victor’s brother and daughter of Hollander), & streamlining motivations that make for a more direct and relatable tale of legacy, obsession, paternal relationships, immortality, morality, and, ultimately, forgiveness in the face of cruelty. Some may say this removes a layer of subtext and goes too hard on the nose, but, for me, I believe it to be more a benefit to pace & narrative consistency that makes the film more engaging.

While the script alterations are a positive, the best features of Frankenstein lie in its casting & production design.

FRANKENSTEIN. (L to R) Mia Goth as Elizabeth and Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein. Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.

Guillermo del Toro has an eye for eyes and expressive faces that evoke a feeling all their own, like a silent-film-era star. Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water, Selma Blair in Hellboy, Ivana Baquero in Pan’s Labyrinth; a buffet of eccentric features that give heartbreak, pain, & innocence before they read a line. In Oscar Isaac, he saw “brilliance, madness, seduction, (and) pain”. In Elordi, “an innocence, an openness, and a purity”. And of course, Mia Goth is cast out of a gothic romance catalog for her tortured beauty; a combination of sadness & longing mixed with her porcelain doll features.

As for the production design, GDT spares no expense when he wants to render a vision he’s had in his sketchbooks for decades. The exceptional detail on the set design of the laboratory/castle & ship captain’s quarters is meticulously well-crafted & painstakingly thought out. The mania of the stormy night of the creature’s birth & the castle’s later destruction are buoyed by the foundation of the layout.

But, as much as the film is an improvement on what came before, del Toro’s Frankenstein does have some notable detractions, mostly in the look & feel of the film’s cinematography and digital sheen. For a gothic setting, there is a brightness and broadness to the lighting of many of the film’s interior sets with neon tinge that distracts more than it impresses. While his sets & creature designs are largely GDT’s greatest asset, his use of CGI, especially in animal form, can also be more of a hindrance that pulls you out more than an impactful design for story & character.

Photo Credit: Ken Woroner / Netflix

Overall, the questions posed and doubts raised towards del Toro and his modern Frankenstein creation regarding story familiarity & his obsession with humanity’s response to imperfections over his decades long career were largely answered and dismissed with an incredibly scrutinized & laboriously detailed monster stitched together from admiration for Shelley’s novel, his own maddeningly obsessive nature, & a pursuit of forgiveness and compassion in the face of a punishing world. Del Toro’s more biographical slant, combined with his more traditional skills of casting & world-building, make for a monster worth saving.

Watch Frankenstein If You Like

• The Shape of Water
• Cronos
• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
• Frankenstein (1931)
• Edward Scissorhands
• The Sandman

MVP of Frankenstein

Writer/Director/Producer Guillermo del Toro

From his time as an odd, hypochondriac child in Guadalajara, del Toro always had a soft spot and kinship with monstrous creatures or what he calls “the patron saints of imperfection”. No matter the hideous design or the ungodly creative methods, del Toro can always see the beauty & light within them, deserving of love & understanding like the rest of us.

Mary Shelley’s novel has a youthful rage at a world she doesn’t understand or want to understand, a world that silos people into their proper place and casts aside anything that challenges their societal norms. No one understands that more than del Toro and, while his script does not go beat for beat with Shelley’s work, he has created a vision of her feelings for modern audiences. Every bit of his admiration and obsessions filter through her lens, creating something beautiful in a time of oppression & fear. While it may be on the nose, GDT is the only person who could have done this familiar story justice in our modern age.

Guillermo del Toro creates a Frankenstein all his own without sacrificing the madness & beauty of Shelley’s work. While complicated at times by poorly executed CGI & Netflix brand shine, the film is produced with exceptional detail and cast incredibly well. Expect many award nominations heading into Oscar season.