Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein is a film that clearly comes from the heart, a labour of love for a story he has cherished for years. From the opening shots on the icebound Horisont Navy Ship, the film settles into a steady, assured rhythm. It frames Victor recounting his sins while the shadow of his creation looms, tapping into the soul of Mary Shelley’s novel with a devotion that feels lived-in rather than rigid. Tender moments sit alongside profound sorrow, giving the story an emotional depth that lingers.
Oscar Isaac delivers Victor with a cold, precise brilliance, capturing both his inflated sense of purpose and the weight of his descent from promising surgeon to broken fugitive. Every stage of the film is supported by extraordinary design work. Del Toro fills each frame with towering sets, rich colour, and layered textures that make even the bleakest landscapes strangely inviting. The world surrounding Victor and the Creature glows with a painterly, gothic beauty. When the story shifts to the Creature’s memories, the mood changes gently but powerfully: the forest scenes, the warmth of the blind man’s home, the eerie stillness of the Arctic, all staged with the confidence that has long cemented del Toro as a master of monsters.
Jacob Elordi’s Creature is a highlight, capturing pain, confusion, and fleeting hope with striking subtlety. His moments of learning and companionship are among the film’s most affecting. Physically, he never quite embodies the towering presence of the classic Frankenstein monster, which stands out during scenes emphasising the Creature’s terrifying strength, but it is a minor issue in an otherwise compelling performance.
At around two and a half hours, the film demands patience, though it never drags. The emotional weight accumulates steadily, and by the time Victor and the Creature reunite in the present, the journey resonates fully. Their final encounter is quiet, heart-wrenching, and entirely earned.
What impresses most is how del Toro reshapes a familiar tale without losing its essence. Life, death, grief, and responsibility remain at the core, but forgiveness takes a more central focus here. Some viewers might miss a touch of the Creature’s original fury, yet the sincerity behind this version is undeniable. Every frame feels crafted with care and love.
Among the many adaptations of Frankenstein, this stands out as perhaps the finest. It looks breathtaking, feels profoundly human, and marks a triumphant return for del Toro. A confident, resonant masterpiece, earning a 9 out of 10.
Out Now on Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81507921
And in Select Cinemas
