It’s difficult to think of a story Hollywood has revisited more than “Frankenstein.” There have been dozens of film adaptations, yet none can top the 1931 classic that made Boris Karloff a star. So do we need another one?

Guillermo del Toro seems to think so. 

If anyone can turn “Frankenstein” into their own, it’s del Toro, the visionary mastermind who gave us “Pan’s Labyrinth.” And it wouldn’t be his first time dipping his toes in monsters (2018 Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water”) and horror (“Crimson Peak”). But when you get further into his two-and-a-half-hour stab at Mary Shelley’s 1818 Gothic novel, you wonder if it was worth all the effort.

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Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix)

The film begins with a “prelude” in the 1857 North Arctic where a ship heading to the North Pole is trapped in the frozen sea. The crew finds a critically-wounded Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), and brings him onboard, not knowing that following Frankenstein is The Creature (Jacob Elordi), whose height towers over the sailors and whose strength can easily toss any of them overboard. 

As Frankenstein and Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) barricade themselves from The Creature, Frankenstein shares his entire life story, beginning with his upbringing and being raised by his cruel and distant father who indoctrinates him into becoming a doctor at a very young age. His younger brother William instantly becomes the favorite child after their mother dies during childbirth. 

Years later, an arrogant Frankenstein will become ostracized by his medical colleagues as he demonstrates the reanimation of a corpse they immediately call a “carnival act” and “trickery.” The only man who takes Frankenstein seriously is Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a charming arms dealer who offers to be a benefactor for his research. Assisting Frankenstein and Harlander is Victor’s now-fully grown estranged brother William (Felix Kammerer), who is engaged to Harlander’s niece Elizabeth (Mia Goth), who Victor obviously fancies. 

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Mia Goth as Elizabeth in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix)

They create a lab out of an abandoned tower and Victor picks the crème of the crop of corpses of hanged criminals and soldiers who fought in the Crimean War to build an entirely new man. Using electric currents from a lightning storm, Victor brings The Creature to life, but sadly without the famous “It’s alive!” declaration like in the Universal classic.

Initially amazed by his own creation, Victor quickly becomes frustrated by The Creature’s lack of cognitive development beyond learning to say Victor’s name, though The Creature appears to form a bond with Elizabeth after she and William make an unannounced visit. Victor sets fire to the tower with The Creature inside, falsely assuming The Creature had died.  

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Christoph Waltz as Henrich Harlander in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix)

Back on the ship, The Creature eventually makes his way into the cabin, giving him the opportunity to tell Captain Anderson his own side of the story (essentially Act II), which revisits how he intellectually developed with the help of a gentle blind man and his own journey in tracking down Victor. 

Isaac, Waltz and Goth all do a fine job. It’s Elordi, the rising star known best for “Saltburn” and HBO’s “Euphoria”, who has the bigger challenge in his unrecognizable role as The Creature. He gives a touching performance bringing humanity to the legendary monster.

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Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix)

Like all previous adaptations, “Frankenstein” grapples with whether man can truly play God (the answer may surprise you!). If del Toro is going to retell a story that most of the English-speaking world generally knows from beginning to end, then he has one crucial mission as a storyteller: to get us to be emotionally invested. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite hit the mark. 

Nonetheless, his “Frankenstein” is still a visual treat, from the elaborate production design, the extravagant costumes, the stunning cinematography, the commendable make-up of The Creature and yet another strong score from Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat. 

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Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix)

The Verdict: 

Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a lavish, serviceable adaptation that gives a horror classic the fairy tale treatment. While the production value is top-notch and the entertainment value is there, this monster flick likely won’t resonate with audiences the way Karloff’s has nearly a century later.

★★★  — STREAM IT LATER

“Frankenstein” is rated R for bloody violence and grisly images. Running time: 2 hours, 29 minutes. In select theaters, streaming on Netflix November 7, 2025.

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