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The stubborn part of me was convinced I would always consider Pan’s Labyrinth to be the finest Guillermo del Toro movie. Then the new Netflix movie Frankenstein was unleashed, and it changed everything.
When someone as great as del Toro can outdo himself, it makes me even more hopeful for his future as a filmmaker. Once again, he made me cry with a sympathetic, tense, and utterly beautiful movie, the kind of offering that makes me remember why I fell in love with film in the first place.
Yes, it really is that good. Literature lovers among us may be concerned that it doesn’t retell Shelley’s story to the letter, but you needn’t be, as del Toro’s version offers a different perspective and does it very well.
Indeed, he even spoke about this in an Empire interview where he said, “The best moments in my mind of Frankenstein, of the novel, are yet to be filmed”. So he set out to tell said best moments, resulting in this beautiful movie.
I really do mean it when I say beautiful, both in terms of its story and how it looks visually. I’m used to del Toro’s movies being well-crafted, and he was right to partner with cinematographer Dan Laustsen, who he worked with on the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water.
Alexandre Desplat has composed many of my favorite scores, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and again, The Shape of Water, so there’s some familiar names here, and this makes for a beautiful collaboration. A movie like this shines when there’s a great score alongside it, and trust me, you’ll get that here.
That’s not the only similarity Frankenstein shares with The Shape of Water, either, as both made me cry a lot. I do tend to cry at many movies, admittedly, but no one tugs at my heartstrings quite like this guy. I will always be obsessed with del Toro’s sympathetic lens and how he crafts his characters.
Jacob Elordi’s The Creature is as captivating to watch as it is heartbreaking. We see the world through his eyes, a technique I always love, which was done wonderfully in Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, too. Forcing us to see things from a seemingly impossible perspective, a place we will never be, is jarring and makes for an excellent narrative device.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as his signature brand of wonder does shine brightly at times. Amid the horrors, there’s hope and innocence, something that brings me back to his movies over and over. We get to see as much light as we do darkness, taking us on a rollercoaster of ups and downs. While it is a bleak story, of course, it’s balanced with this overarching feeling of empathy that stays with you long after you leave the theater.
Frankenstein is best seen on the biggest screen possible
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Victor Frankenstein is played equally as brilliantly by Oscar Isaac, embodying the spirit of a man who is ostracized but refuses to give up, a complicated man who has long been the subject of many literary debates. He’s a traumatized, obsessed man, rich in complexities. This comes across brilliantly in Isaac’s performance.
The entire ensemble is excellent, with huge names like Mia Goth (she really is a star, like her iconic horror character Pearl professes), Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, and Christoph Waltz rounding out the cast. Nobody is wasted here; I was impressed by every role.
This is only elevated by beautiful costumes and set design, which have transportive powers at the best of times, but I couldn’t believe that 2 hours and 30 minutes had passed. It really does fly by, and I can’t wait to watch it all over again.
I urge people to go and see Frankenstein as soon as possible. Its arrival on Netflix does mean more people will get to see it, but it’s best experienced in theaters if you can. It’s a cinematic feast for the eyes and should be seen on the biggest, loudest screen possible.
When it does arrive on Netflix, I highly recommend checking out del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, too, to further satisfy your grisly cravings. What better way to celebrate Halloween than that?
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