Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been adapted over and over again for the screen, but each director has taken their own vision of the story and changed it along the way. Later this week, Guillermo del Toro’s version of the story is hitting the big screen (and later will arrive on Netflix in November). But del Toro’s version, while drenched in his own style and artistic flare, may be one of the closest adaptations to the book we’ve seen so far.
Guillermo del Toro has his own style, a dark and macabre style that fits so well with Frankenstein and the aesthetic you’d expect with a gothic story. And while not every movie del Toro makes is the perfect match for this aesthetic or fans of the genre – there seems to be a perfect balance in his style and the source material with Frankenstein.
Since Frankenstein has been adapted so many times, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know about the crazy doctor and his monster. But what the horror movies, the pop culture and even the comedies often forget to include is the rest of the story. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein really isn’t just the story of Dr. Frankenstein reanimating a creature from the parts of the dead. But instead tells the real human story of the creature finding his own voice, and how to live. It examines who really is the monster when you compare the doctor who wants to destroy his creation he finds less than human or the creature that was brought into the world by no fault of his own.
And this is the version that del Toro brings to the screen. It’s closer to the book and the original story, it’s not just focusing on the dark scary monster that Hollywood often looks at. Instead, it forces the viewer to see how cruel Dr. Frankenstein is and the struggle to find humanity on both sides from the characters.
Even with the beautiful dark aesthetic, Frankenstein at it’s heart is a dark and gory story. While the movie does have bits of gore, and a lot of death – it’s not as graphic as a lot of other movies. However, if you are not a fan of blood and gore – this may be a movie to watch cautiously or to know that there are times it’s better to just not look at the screen. The most graphic parts are when they are assembling the monster from a variety of collected body parts and a fight scene later on. Compared to a lot of other horror movies that are hitting the screen, this in minimal in comparison. This is not to say there aren’t parts that are gross and gory, but if you can make it through any modern slasher movie, Frankenstein wont be a problem.
Sure, we’ve see Frankenstein hit the big screen hundreds of times from films, to series, to cartoons and more. And yet, Guillermo del Toro seems to have put his unique style on one of the most accurate adaptations so far. Beautiful, haunting and through provoking.
FRANKENSTEIN will release in select theaters on October 24th and on Netflix on November 7th
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About Frankenstein
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.