‘Frankenstein’ Review: Jacob Elordi  at his best in Guillermo del Toro’s loaded adaptation

While del Toro keeps most of the source material intact, he adds a realistic touch to the film by telling the story through the lens of a father and his child. Victor Frankenstein (Isaac) wasn’t always a mad scientist with a lust for power. Victor’s father, Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance), horribly mistreated him and led him to build this god complex of overcoming death. Isaac gives a nuanced performance as Victor, challenging the audience’s perception of his character. There’s a heartbreaking reason why Victor wants to prove his father wrong, but is losing his humanity along the way worth the cost? Despite his name, Isaac may not get an Oscar for this role, but it’s nice to see him dig deep and give a dark Shakespearean performance.

After playing younger characters in The Kissing Booth and Euphoria, Elordi’s recent work in Saltburn and On Swift Horses has shown he can tackle these complicated adult roles with raw maturity and depth. This is amplified even more in his portrayal of Creature in Frankenstein. Elordi brilliantly blends his previous work by balancing the youthful energy of a child discovering life with the depressing outlook that comes when dealing with a cruel world. While most interpretations present this character as dimwitted, Elordi’s version has layers to him. Not only does he have a strong emotional presence, but his physicality as the Creature is superhuman. The scenes showcasing Creature’s strength are horrifying and brutal. But if you’re on the receiving end of his onslaught, you probably deserve it.

‘Frankenstein’s Slow Pace Doesn’t Overstep Its Timeless Story

It’s a shame that Frankenstein is only getting a limited theatrical release because the cinematography and grand scale of the practical sets deserves to be seen on the big screen. However, the 2.5-hour runtime is heavily felt in the film’s first act. While it’s nice to see Victor given so much depth, it takes away from developing the other characters, played by Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz. The relationship between Elizabeth Lavenza (Goth) and Creature deserved more screen time to further the bond del Toro was trying to establish between them.

Victor’s crusade to create Creature grew stronger not because of his drive for science, but because of his lust for Elizabeth. It’s heartbreaking to see Creature be dismissed by his creator (and frankly, most of the world) for how he looks or his “lack” of intelligence. Despite the film being set in the 19th century, the themes unfortuntely still ring true to this day.

Del Toro rarely fails at delivering such beautifully tragic creature features, and Frankenstein is further proof of that. Although the Dark Universe has long been dead and gone, if del Toro took it upon himself to helm more monster stories, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what he could do. Hopefully, this time we won’t have to wait more than a decade for it.

Del Toro’s Frankenstein will be released in select theaters on October 17 and available on Netflix starting November 7.

Frankenstein' Review | TIFF 2025

4/5 Total Score

The Good

• Jacob Elordi is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking in the best portrayal of Frankenstein's "monster."
• Guillermo del Toro cleverly brings in themes and narrative beats that modernizes this story, while still honoring Mary Shelley's work.
• The cinematography and set design are reasons to see this on the big screen.

The Bad

• The first act goes on for way too long.
• Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz aren't given enough screen time to be fully invested in their characters.