In a gothic spectacle that feels both timeless and urgently fresh, Guillermo del Toro's long-gestating adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein made its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2025. The film, starring Oscar Isaac as the brilliant but tormented Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the tragic Creature, and Mia Goth in a pivotal role as Elizabeth, promises to reanimate the classic tale with del Toro's signature blend of horror and heart. At 149 minutes, it's a sprawling epic that dives deep into themes of creation, isolation, and monstrous ambition.
Critics are already buzzing about Elordi's performance, which transforms the iconic monster into something staggeringly beautiful yet profoundly otherworldly. Indeed, del Toro himself has called the Creature "beautiful" in interviews, emphasizing a visual and emotional depth that sets this version apart from previous iterations. Isaac delivers a powerhouse turn as the egotistical scientist whose experiments unravel everything, while Goth brings a quiet intensity to her character, caught in the web of Victor's obsessions. The supporting cast, including Christoph Waltz as a wealthy arms manufacturer funding the madness, adds layers of intrigue and moral complexity.
But not everything lands perfectly. Some early reviews note that the film's lavish production design—think shadowy laboratories and fog-shrouded landscapes—sometimes overshadows the narrative's emotional core, leading to moments that feel muddled amid the bombast. Still, with a 7.3 rating on IMDb and strong Rotten Tomatoes scores praising its passion and visual stun, Frankenstein emerges as del Toro's most ambitious project yet. It had a limited theatrical release kicking off October 17, before hitting Netflix globally on November 7.
The trailer's recent drop only heightens the anticipation, showing the Creature's poignant quest for humanity amid the wreckage of his maker's hubris. Moreover, Elordi's unrecognizable makeup and physicality have sparked debates about modernizing the monster— is a "hunky" Frankenstein a bold evolution or a dilution of Shelley's horror? However, del Toro's track record suggests he's threading a delicate line between reverence and reinvention.
As this Frankenstein lurches toward wider audiences, it leaves us pondering the enduring pull of stories that blur the line between creator and created.