Oscar Isaac as scientist Victor Frankenstein tries to bring the dead to life in a scene from “Frankenstein.”
Netflix
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is generating monstrous viewership for Netflix, claiming the No. 1 spot on its Global Top 10 English films list for a second week in a row. The visually stunning adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel captivated audiences worldwide, attracting 33.8 million views and a total of 85.5 million hours viewed.
The film features exceptional performances by Oscar Isaac (Dune, Inside Llewyn Davis) as the tormented scientist Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn, Priscilla) as the Creature. Elordi’s portrayal traces a journey from newborn innocence to hardened existence, shaped by hatred, ignorance and fear. Isaac’s Victor, realizing too late what he has done, struggles for redemption.
Del Toro, who has called the story of Frankenstein his Bible, portrays the humanity of the Creature while exposing the inhumanity of man, reminding audiences of their capacity for both evil and kindness. The film explores themes of love, purity, loneliness and existence through multiple perspectives, offering a fresh take on Shelley’s classic tale.
(L to R) Director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein on the set of Frankenstein.
Ken Woroner/Netflix
A Dream Decades in the Making
Del Toro has cited Shelley’s novel as a constant inspiration throughout his career. Frankenstein is his bucket list film, a passion project that struggled to find backing for years. The Mexican filmmaker, who won best director and best picture Oscars for 2017’s The Shape of Water and best animated feature for 2022’s stop-motion Pinocchio, persisted until he found the right partner in Netflix. He brought his vision to life with a screenplay he wrote himself, producing alongside J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber.
Netflix has become a key partner for del Toro’s uncompromising vision. The streamer produced and released Pinocchio, which marked his animated feature directorial debut, proving the platform’s willingness to support bold directorial visions.
The director’s film remains largely faithful to the novel’s core themes of creation and abandonment, telling the story of a brilliant but egotistical scientist whose monstrous experiment leads to the undoing of both creator and creation. However, del Toro significantly alters character relationships, motivations and the ending to focus more on shame, intergenerational trauma and the possibility of reconciliation.
Jacob Elordi as the “newborn” Creature and Mia Goth as Elizabeth during a tender moment in a scene from “Frankenstein.”
Netflix
Stellar Ensemble Cast
Joining Isaac and Elordi is Mia Goth (X, Emma) as Elizabeth and Claire. The supporting cast includes Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front, Eden) as William, Lars Mikkelsen (The Witcher, Ahsoka) as Captain Anderson, and David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Game of Thrones) as the Blind Man.
Rounding out the ensemble are Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Mank) as Leopold, Christoph Waltz (The Consultant, Django Unchained) as Harlander and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth, The Monkey) as a 10-year-old Victor.
The cinematography and captivating performances from the entire cast leave audiences thinking long after the credits roll. Del Toro’s interpretation feels both timeless and timely, speaking to our present need for forgiveness, awareness and course correction when something goes wrong.
For those who think they know Frankenstein, this version is worth the watch.