Frankenstein (2025)
Not worth reanimating.
Presentation:
Another remake of Mary Shelley’s classic in Guillermo del Toro’s victorian gothic/steampunk style. To give credit where it’s due, the story departs significantly from the original structure and does feel fresh in that regard. I would have enjoyed the costumes and setting were it not for some really ugly HDR CGI. Despite real sets, I found everything to look extremely fake due to the image quality and lighting. Even Jacob Elordi’s 12 hour Prometheus makeup looked plastic, at least compared to Shape of Water. Elordi’s performance isn’t that great and Isaac’s performance was maybe the only saving grace but I felt everything was over-acted and rushed with no soul. The entire production feels extremely Netflixy in the worst sense. Volumes, artificial lighting, weird shutter speeds and superficial production value were so suffocating I couldn’t finish the film.
Conclusion:
There was once a time when del Toro made inspiring and novel films but he now feels like a Netflix director chasing the bag. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is slop, but it is definitely a popcorn flick to put on in the background. Performances are impassionate and nothing felt real. I think I may even prefer the 2015 version with Carrie Anne Moss over this one. Directed by del Toro used to get me excited, I now feel the opposite.
Recommendations
Fallen trees don’t grow back.