Screened at select international film festivals, Frankenstein immerses viewers in a dark, captivating world of obsession and consequence. Oscar Isaac portrays Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist confronting the fallout of his ambition, while Jacob Elordi’s Creature captures both innocence and the pain of rejection, making the story as emotionally enthralling as it is visually striking.

Overzealous Begets Regretful

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a masterpiece dramatized in a way that compels viewers to feel compassion for a monstrous-looking creature. The film explores the unforeseen result of an experiment carried out by a brilliant but egotistical scientist, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). Victor has an unwavering belief that he could bring back the dead. He was still a little boy when he absorbed this idea after losing his mother; he said to his father, Baron Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance), “I will conquer death.” In his desire to prove his theory to be true, Victor gave life to  Creature (Jacob Elordi), who is not only dangerous and incredibly strong but also possesses the power of immortality. Although what seemed at first a monstrous Creature turns out to be a kind monster as the film progresses. Initially, after the creation of Creature, Victor, instead of a feeling of happiness and great accomplishment, hangs on to the opposite, as he had created something different from what he’d set out to create. In his endeavor to kill it, Victor planted hatred in the heart of Creature, who made sure to use it against its creator.

Oscar’s Victor performance in Frankenstein depicts the relentless and persistent nature of scientists in their zeal to turn theories into facts. While the film is scientific in nature, Victor plays his role in such a way that is less complex, though the film’s narrative is also a major enhancer for this. For the role of a scientist, Oscar ultimately embodies the role, and this is seen in the way he walks, how he carries himself, and how he engages in dialogue, which is one of Frankenstein’s outstanding points. Frankenstein is more than meets the eye. From the dialogue to the cast and the plot, the film remains remarkable. The film opens by presenting the story, while the ending returns the audience to the narrator (Victor), which helps reinforce the film’s reflective tone and lifelike touch.

A Journey From Innocence to Bitterness 

While Frankenstein is based on the 1818 novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, del Toro, rather than retelling the novel beat for beat, tells the story as if he’s peeling back the skin of a familiar myth to reveal something more captivating underneath. His signature is seen in the direction of Frankenstein. He blends dreadfulness and melancholy without doing too much to scare the viewers. The movie’s strength lies in how Victor’s realization of how his actions can’t be undone and Creature’s knowledge that he was made from nothing unfold. What makes Frankenstein stand out and feel natural is the way Elordi’s Creature is played. He doesn’t play the role of a monster, but as someone waking up inside a strange world that he is unfamiliar with, but tries to understand its ways. The collaboration of the cast and creative team, who jointly move in the same direction, is what holds the film together. Elordi deserves credit for his outstanding performance as the Creature, who serves as the film’s emotional engine. His journey from innocence to bitterness is slow and painful: he only wanted to be treated as a human, yet his creator tried to burn him alive. Even after escaping this tragedy, he meets more suffering in his search for self-discovery and understanding of his new environment. It is this narrative that helps the audience to grasp the Creature’s true intention and kind nature, ultimately stirring sympathy and compassion for him. Especially the scene where tragedy is imminent and he calls out Victor to come save him is one of the film’s most emotional moments. It’s almost as if he’s about to cry as he yells his creator’s name, making viewers fully immersed in his reality. 

There is no doubt that Oscar’s energy in Frankenstein is captivating, as even his brother’s wife, Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth), told him unknowingly in a confession in the film.