Frankenstein Movie Review- Visually Sensational with Electrifying Performances

Anticipation surged for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein after the trailer debuted, with audiences immediately calling for a theatrical release befitting its visual spectacle.

And now that the movie is topping Netflix’s streaming charts, it should have been released theatrically. Here is our version of the Frankenstein movie review from the Mexican filmmaker who won an Oscar for The Shape of Water (2017). ​

Plot details of Frankenstein (2025)

Frankenstein is based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. The narrative centers on Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), an ambitious scientist intent on defying death by creating life, engaging in an untested experiment with unforeseen consequences. 

His brother William Frankenstein (Felix Kammerer) helps him in his endeavor to some extent, but it is his brother’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Mia Goth) is a scientist and the only person who shows sympathy towards the creature.

Victor is afraid of his own creation and tries to demolish it. Have a look at the trailer to get a glimpse:

Actors’ performances in Frankenstein (2025)

Performance-wise, every character has been on top of his game. Let’s talk about Oscar Isaac’s Victor first. Isaac portrayed a self-centered person who, in pursuit of glory, wanted to create a new life, to achieve a ‘god-like’ status.

His ego was fueled by his abusive father in the film, a bit different angle from the original novel, as his father had also pressurized him to live up to his name’s reputation. His father was a violent doctor, and the story even hinted at him conducting experiments on Victor’s mother. This changed the story’s focus, leading to a more in-depth explanation of Victor’s egoistic personality. 

Mia Goth’s Elizabeth, as shown by del Toro, was also different from the original novel. In Shelley’s book, she was a mere fiancée and had a passive presence. Contrarily, in the film, del Toro took a minute detail from the novel about her personality- ‘playful as an insect’- and made her a confident, independent, empathetic insect scientist who is not afraid to challenge Victor. ​

Jacob Elordi’s creature is far from the stereotypical green monster with bolts sticking out of its head as we usually imagine. Rather, he is gentle, intellectually curious, and heartbreakingly human. He longs for a companion and thus shows rage for this very matter towards his creator. 

Unlike in Shelley’s novel—where the creature kills Elizabeth in revenge against his creator, who abandoned him out of fear and disgust for his own creation—Elordi’s creature is portrayed as compassionate and yearning to belong. 

In one particular scene, Elordi’s subtle expressions genuinely moved me. He hated to be alone and get thrashings from his creator and wanted someone by his side, just like him, who was an immortal.  

What do critics add to Frankenstein movie review?

Currently sitting at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are completely taken with del Toro’s modern reimagining of the classic tale Frankenstein, as the critics’ consensus says, 

“Finding the humanity in one of cinema’s most iconic monsters, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is a lavish epic that gets its most invigorating volts from Jacob Elordi’s standout performance.” [Source]

The ‘del Toro touch’ to the monster story is now crafted with a “spectacular fashion,” as the critics put it. It is full of his “creative energy” as he delves deeper into the human side of the creature rather than sticking to the old tale. 

It is dark, full of blood, but filled with brain and heart. The critics justify that del Toro kept the emotional bars high with this one, along with the breathtaking visuals in each sequence. 

Fans’ reaction

The fans have almost the same thought too. They believe that this version is far better than any one made earlier and therefore, “this one takes the cake”. Elordi and Isaac have been phenomenal. 

Some of them found the first half to be a drag, but the second half was awesome and emotional. Overall, it was “poetic, beautiful, gorgeously filmed and brilliantly acted”. 

Is it worth watching?

​Definitely worth watching. Frankenstein is dark and gothic, a visual masterpiece in every frame. Del Toro put his heart into creating the perfect eerie atmosphere and picturesque aesthetics that the film demanded. ​

A central defining theme in del Toro’s work is his sympathetic portrayal of villains and the idea of humans falling in love with monsters, just as we have seen in The Shape of Water. His idea of horror lies in showing the traditional horror and monstrosity residing in human nature. The cruelty and prejudice of human nature are vividly evident in Victor Frankenstein, too, instead of his creature or his physical appearance.

The complicated dynamics of the film trickle down to one thing: the relationship between the creator and his creation. The roles of two deeply troubled men were curtailed to those of a father and an innocent son.

“Let’s be monsters together”- the phrase that the film’s posters stated fits perfectly here. Del Toro wanted to paint a sympathetic portrait of his monster as he sanitizes at the end after Victor’s death. He accepts what he is and savors being alive. 

Another thing that I liked about the film’s narrative was showing the story from the viewpoints of both Victor and his creature. This altered the entire take on the film as the audience is able to see and relate where Victor went wrong and how the creature felt about it. 

At the core, it is the same tragic story, but with del Toro’s special innovative ingredients, this seemed to be a more faithful rendition with deep respect for Shelley’s novel and its narrative. 

What we liked

• Del Toro’s vision and direction
• Visual grandeur
• Emotional core
• Jacob Elordi’s performance
• Oscar Isaac’s complex Victor
• Mia Goth’s redefined Elizabeth
• Faithful yet fresh adaptation
• Themes of humanity and monstrosity

What could be better

• Limited theatrical experience
• Some audience might feel an overly melancholic tone due to somber pacing and heavy themes
• Narrative density

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our rating for Frankenstein (2025):

Story/plot	8/10
Characters and acting	8.5/10
Direction and pacing	8.5/10
Visuals and cinematography	9/10
Soundtrack/score	7/10
Themes and message	8/10
Emotional impact	7/10
Creativity/originality	6/10
Rewatchability	7/10

Our rating: 7.5/10

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Is Frankenstein (2025) available for online streaming?

Yes, Frankenstein (2025) (R-rated) is available to stream on Netflix.

Genre: Monster horror, drama, sci-fi

IMDb rating: 7.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 86 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 95 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Writers: Mary Shelley, Guillermo del Toro

Producers: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale

Release date: November 7, 2025

Movie runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes

Which performance stood out most for you — Oscar Isaac’s tortured scientist or Jacob Elordi’s soulful creature? Drop your pick below!