Written by Sam Clark
Certificate: 15
Running time: 159 minutes
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
When news broke that Robert Eggers would be writing and directing a new Nosferatu film, I could not have been filled with more hope and anticipation. The simple reason being that I believed he was the only filmmaker alive who could pull something like this off as his usual aesthetic was perfect for it. In my opinion, Nosferatu is akin to something like Citizen Kane in terms of cinematic royalty and attempting to remake it is crazy. You do not go near it unless you know exactly what your doing. Well, another director I foolishly did not think of for the Nosferatu gig was Guillermo Del Toro, as he would have suited just fine as well and perhaps would've even been top choice for some.
But now we arrive at the latest jab at adapting Frankenstein from the Pan's Labyrinth writer/director, a far less pressing task. I believe Frankenstein is also another example in which the list of potential directors is just as limited. Granted, any director with experience in body horror would perhaps be able to give it a go, but I have never encountered a film more tailored to a specific filmmaker before than what we have here. Reportedly, Del Toro has been trying to make Frankenstein since the 90s, which tells you all the need to know. The ball is now in his court. He writes and directs here from the novel by May Shelley. We begin the film in the Arctic in which a stranded ship's crew finds a wounded Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaacs), with some sort of creature hunting him. He is rescued by the crew and after a tense encounter with the beast on board, he recounts the story of how he came to create such a hideous and monstrous being. The film is then told in two parts; the story from Victor's perspective, and the other from The Monster's (Jacob Elordi).
Image credit: IMDb/Netflix
The films backstory includes a grief stricken Victor who, after the death of his mother and abuse inflicted upon him by his father Charles Dance, sets out to become a surgeon. Expelled from his school for surgeons due to his practice of reanimation, he is given a new opportunity by arms dealer Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) who grants him unlimited funding and a new laboratory for all of his toys and whistles. Victor then enlists the help of his brother and the two begin searching for corpses to experiment with, and given the war torn setting of the time period, there are plenty of patients to choose from. Harlander begins to fall ill, and asks to be transferred into the body to which an outraged Victor refuses.
At first the grand experiment fails, but then the creature awakens. Victor teaches him speech and basic human functions and emotions, but as more time passes, he slowly realizes the horror of what he has done. Also starring is Mia Goth, the fiance of Victor's brother, to whom starts to form a bond with Elordi's monster. It's business as usual with Frankenstein really; man attempts to play god, and must suffer and face the consequences.
Image credit: IMDb/Netflix
For me, Frankenstein is yet another perfect embodiment of what Del Toro exceeds at most; he finds and sees the beauty that can be had with darkness and horror and brings it to light. Virtually every frame of this is picturesque, similar to much of his work. Even if the nature of what is going on is bleak and full of dread, there is still a soft and gentle approach to it which only he could have pulled off. There are a couple of scenes in which a funeral takes place, and it had such an unique air of calmness to it that you almost feel as though you are floating.
The moments of Victor performing surgeries stood out the most in my eyes of his artistic stamp, as these were the scenes in which I felt as though Guillermo was having the most fun behind the camera. Where other directors would see this as a chance to make you repulsed as possible just for the sake of it, there was a sense of respect and restrain here that shows just how much he cares about his vision. Frankenstein has a 15 certificate, and it proved to be far nastier than I thought. I'd advise you grab a pillow for some parts. This also has some of the best in camera physicality I have ever seen, which is all the more surprising and impressive as Del Toro does not usually dabble in action as much (save for Pacific Rim and Hellboy).
Image credit: IMDb/Netflix
Now we arrive at my biggest bone to pick. It is here in I have to take a step back and analyze the larger and philosophical issue, in that I believe streaming is killing the cinematic experience. Despite being perfectly aware of just how long Netflix has been in the cinema game now for, something inside of me seemed to snap watching this. Most scenes that consisted of green screen instantly took me out of the film, and in fact, made me rather angry at just how bad it looked. That is because this is made for TV. Ranging from the common issue I have of watching films at home that I believe should be in cinemas instead (due to their scale and scope), to the problem at hand here in which this felt far too televisual (which is the point). It genuinely reminded me of episodes of TV which I could not believe. The reason for this is simple.
The experience of going along to your local multiplex is not the same anymore (the cost of ticket prices going up as well as the cost of living, cinema etiquette getting worse and some people out there still worried about Covid) streaming is becoming the answer and solution more and more. My issue with the situation is that it takes me out of the experience too much as cinema should be far, far, far bigger than this. Cinema does not belong on a TV screen, but I'm aware this will not change which is what worried me the most. But as for now, Del Toro has delivered here, as we knew he would.
Frankenstein is on Netflix from the 7th of November.
