‘Frankenstein’ Review: Del Toro’s Creature Comfort Film [TIFF 25]
Guillermo del Toro and Toronto have a special relationship, and debuting the filmmaker’s passion project at TIFF, just seems fitting.
The soil that grew the creative seed within director Guillermo del Toro, arguably this generation’s most imaginative monster maker, was saturated in the same nutrients that spawned James Whale, Tod Browning and Karl Freud. The originators of the classic movie monster, the dreamers who terrified and inspired generations, and the men who forged icons using celluloid and light as their hammer and anvil.
These classic Universal movie monsters are etched not only in the ambitions and visions of monster lovers, but indelibly in the collective brains of the entire world. The look of Dracula, The Mummy and Frankentstein’s Monster are the definition of iconic, they became a Halloween staple for decades to come, and will likely remain so for decades more. Yet this writer would argue that it is not because of the unbreakable visuals or the cerebral connection we have with these monsters. They are etched not in our brains, but in our hearts. Dracula and the Mummy are simply cursed, forlorn lovers - men who once again yearn for the love they lost so long ago, and the Creature in Frankenstein is a figure looking for acceptance, seeking to fill an undying hole in his soul. He, like his classic monster brethren have always been intended to be portrayed as sympathetic and misunderstood.
The heart of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ beats with that same misunderstood sympathy. Frankenstein’s Creature has always been a favorite of the filmmaker, and the love he has for this story, and the sympathy he feels for the creature is palpable. There have been many versions of this story on film since the James Whale classic, and none have given the Creature its due more than del Toro’s.
An entire chapter of the film is allotted to Jacob Elordi’s creature, who comes into the film like a lion, and out like a lamb. It was a choice to write it as such that certainly ensured The Creature was a layered character, but there is something to be said about the appeal of The Creature being an unstoppable juggernaut of destruction. Fans who want that kind of Creature will only get a taste of the destructive supernatural power he is capable of, as instead, del Toro’s script really focuses on Oscar Isaac’s Frankenstein as the main antagonist.
While Elordi really gives The Creature great depth and humanity, while still keeping that monstrous rage always boiling on the surface, he is without doubt the strongest performance within the film. Isaac, while serviceable, takes his performance and faux English accent to levels not seen since his take on the X-Men’s Apocalypse. That same kind of quiet menace is what he chooses to keep boiling on the surface, but sadly, the rest of his range isn’t quite as believable. Like the film itself, Isaac starts off strong as the story recaps the young impassioned Frankenstein, but as the film wears on, the character’s charm wears off. Del Toro, naturally intended it that way, to villainize the infamous mad-scientist, but it was the performance of Isaac that became more and more tiresome. When he takes his turn towards callous villain and inevitably begins abusing The Creature, the transition was all-too-abrupt and lacked subtlety, which is perhaps the best way to characterize Isaac’s performance, overall.
This writer will also admit he has never been a fan of Mia Goth, and this film certainly did not change that opinion. Goth can often merely mouth-breathe her way through a scene as her Tim Burton-esque porcelain doll visage is more than enough to service the darker films she’s become known for. It become apparent that del Toro had that same use in mind, as Goth’s unique look is a perfect fit for the rest of the Gothic visual masterpiece he created.
Which is the true strength of the film. Like the aforementioned Burton, del Toro has always been known for the dark beauty he can forge on screen. Frankenstein, to no surprise is an absolutely gorgeous film, and even more impressive, is an original visual take on the iconic tale. The look of the science behind the creation of The Creature is still familiar, but relies on glowing red batteries instead of channeling lightning directly into the reanimated corpse. Production designer Tamara Deverell, who worked with del Toro previously in Nightmare Alley carefully used color throughout the production, with shocks of red being a harbinger for death, including The Creature’s eye glowing with the same red energy his battery omits, and a scarf that Frankenstein himself often dons.
The runtime, while on the long side, didn't feel superfluous when the film had concluded. Without it, that aforementioned perspective from The Creature would have seemed more of an obvious, perhaps even desperate attempt for del Toro to do something different. Instead, the chapter from The Creature’s perspective added some much needed sincerity to the film.
With such tremendous heart and visual savagery, Frankenstein really proves to be the perfect vessel for del Toro. It is evident how much thought he has put into this dream project, and it could very well be considered his opus. While the performances overall are not necessarily something that shines, the most important aspect - the sensitive monster - is exactly what it needs to be, and carries the film through the latter half of the nearly 3 hour runtime. There is a reason why certain filmmakers are considered auteurs, and Frankenstein clicks every box for del Toro’s signature style.