I just finished Frankenstein and walked away impressed by its ambition and craftsmanship.
Oscar Isaac brings strength and intensity as Victor, while Jacob Elordi surprises with a surprisingly nuanced, emotionally raw turn as the Creature. The film’s fidelity to Mary Shelley’s original text offers a fresh sense of authenticity amid gothic set-pieces and haunting visuals. Del Toro’s signature flair is everywhere… in the sumptuous production design, the eerie atmosphere, and the regret-filled emotional core.
But the film is perhaps too enamoured with its own grandeur: at nearly two and a half hours it occasionally bogs down, and the pacing in the final act loses some of the tension built earlier. It feels more like a director’s showcase than a taut, lean horror-tragedy.
While it delivers on many levels and is well worth watching, it didn’t fully sweep me off my feet – thus I’m settling on a solid 6.5/10.
