Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a classic; either the first and one of the most beloved sci-fi pieces of literature in history, or, your dreaded assigned reading in English class. Several forms of adaptations have been made of the novel, such as movies, a musical, and a spin-off of the character of Frankenstein’s monster more commonly known as just “Frankenstein” in popular media. Now, director Guillermo del Toro’s film adaptation is sweeping the world. Despite being a production worth hundreds of millions, the movie had a quieter release with a limited theater showing in a few independent theaters across the country. However, it had a global release on November 7th on the Netflix streaming service to an excited audience. Trailers promised a fantastic experience, and the release beyond delivered it.

While some characters from the original novel went through some change, others were entirely removed from the story. The characters of Henry Clerval and Justine Moritz especially stand out as both played a sizable role in the original story. One of the biggest character additions is Harlander (played by Christoph Waltz), Victor’s beneficiary sponsor to his lab work and Elizabeth’s uncle. As for the story, it is executed similarly to the book, but some major changes are evident as the story progresses. 

Firstly, the movie opens with a lengthy scene aboard Captain Anderson’s boat stuck on its way to the North Pole, who takes on the same role as Robert Walton in the novel, introducing Victor and the Creature onscreen right out of the gate. The book opts to take more time in between the captain’s point of view through his letters and Victor’s story of his life. After, there is another long sequence of events detailing Victor’s childhood, focusing especially on his connection to his mother, how influential her death was, and his strained relationship with his father. Victor only has one sibling in the movie, his youngest brother William, while in the novel he has two brothers and his adopted sister Elizabeth. His account of his journey progresses through his academic years, presenting the idea of returning life to the dead to his fellow scholars (yet another change from the original), and being offered a place to create the Creature by Harlander. As his lab is built, he meets Elizabeth, who in the movie is engaged to his brother William and is the niece of Harlander, and starts to forge a relationship with her. Victor brings the Creature to life in a dramatic scene, raising him with growing irritation until Elizabeth and William visit, where catastrophe ensues. Then, viewers receive a break in Victor’s story as the Creature, having followed Victor to the boat, begins to tell his story of interaction with other humans and animals. The movie then shifts back to Victor’s perspective, leading up to the notable wedding scene that was the catalyst for Victor’s pursuit of the Creature, which ends solemnly on the boat. The movie then ends with a quote from Lord Byron: “and thus the heart will break. And brokenly live on.” The quote is not only an excellent way to close the movie, but also references to Lord Byron, an English poet who held the contest that Mary Shelley originally wrote Frankenstein for and won.

 Oscar Isaac does a great job at playing Victor Frankenstein, choosing to channel the character’s development as the story progresses. After Victor creates the Creature, he feels growing hatred towards it despite a moral obligation that alludes to a sort of parent-child relationship. After he is rid of the Creature, it returns anyway and Victor becomes animalistic and wanton to escape the sins of his past, careless of the effect on others even though it is completely his choices that led to the events of the movie. Mia Goth also gave a wonderful performance as Elizabeth, giving the character a new depth otherwise not present in the original novel. Her Elizabeth is curious and compassionate, and has great chemistry with Victor. Her real interest in Victor’s work and living creatures provides more of a foundation for her care for the Creature, who she shares some adorable interactions with. Last but not least, the clear standout of the movie, capturing the audience’s focus, was Jacob Elordi’s outstanding performance as the Creature. Elordi managed to masterfully express each stage of the Creatures journey from creation and toddler-like tendencies to a violence-hardened and sullen state throughout the movie.

Another aspect of the movie that I enjoyed was the music; the orchestral pieces perfectly complemented the drama and beautifully illustrated world. The movie felt like it managed to tap into all the sci-fi elements present in other movie adaptations of Frankenstein without being too gaudy. The film was also very colorful, which complimented the worldbuilding and fantastical nature of the story. Even though Guillermo del Toro decided to take different directions for some parts of the story, the result is still a wonderful film.

Of all the film adaptations of novels, many have sought to achieve something similar to their original counterparts, sometimes reaching for a standard only attainable when read. Despite many failed attempts by other novel adaptations, Frankenstein proves to be a shining example of getting it right.