Frankenstein [2025] (5 Stars)

When I heard that Guillermo del Toro was planning to film "Frankenstein", my immediate thought was "Why? Hasn't it been done so often before?"

It's true. Mary Shelley's famous novel has been adapted for cinema so often over the years, more or less accurately. The best known adaptations were made by Universal Studios in 1931, Hammer Horror in 1957 and the Hollywood version in 1994. All three have their charm, but the 1994 version is the most accurate in comparison with Mary Shelley's novel.

I don't want to include spoilers in this review, but I assume that my readers have seen the three versions named above and many have also read the novel.

The version I watched today includes the story's outer frame that was omitted in the first two versions. We see Victor Frankenstein and his creature on the ice heading towards the North Pole. Then the rest of the story is told in two parts: Victor's life up to the creation of the creature, and the creature's life. The first half is greatly changed from the novel, making it less accurate than the 1994 version, but it's so emotionally moving that it doesn't matter. The second half, the creature's life, keeps close to the novel, even more accurately than the 1994 version.

Guillermo del Toro has created a masterpiece. It's a horror film for people who don't like horror films.