Frankenstein (2025) Review: Monsters Are Made Through Misunderstanding

Frankenstein: Monsters are not born they are made through misunderstandings

Characters:

Del Toro's monster belongs in good company: read our Lee Cronin's The Mummy review, The Exorcist (1973) review and the best Halloween movies list. Mary Shelley's 1818 novel is summarised on Wikipedia, and the film's own page covers cast, production and release.

Victor Frankenstein: Oscar Isaac

Frankenstein ( creature): Jacob Elordi

Supporting roles: Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, and Charles Dance

Hellboy's director Guillermo deToro created a gothic fantasy drama based on Mary Shelley's famous novel. that shows what misunderstood,unloved and lonely species are not the villain we think of . Monsters that appear to be evil sometimes are the protagonists. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) represents that there is a thin line between what will happen or should’ve happened. The Monster that was created but was isolated and abandoned. Society plays a major part that creates a stereotype of what seems to be accepted or not. When Frankenstein was born like an infant but wasn’t provided with proper care, love and attention. He doesn't know what emotions are. The movie revolves around emotions , rejections ,revenge and isolation.

Image From Netflix all credits to the source

The name Frakensitien does not specify if it is the creature or the creator. The name that has been revolved around decades as an evil creature gives us an alternate perspective as to who is the real monster. The main question that the movie asks is whether there is any responsibility for a human being when he creates a life. The real fear isn’t the stitched parts or the ugliness, it is the abandonment.

The real horror isn’t the creature, it is the human.

Guillermo del Toro understands what the creature wants and needs. It needed the love and care that Lady Elizebeth provided him with.The creature was not born monstrous but he became one for society before he was given a chance to show how he really is. This creature is often referred to as the tragedy of loneliness.Victor Frankenstein creates the Creature because he is obsessed with discovering the secret of life and overcoming death. Driven by scientific ambition and curiosity, he wants to achieve something no human has done before. However, when his experiment succeeds, Victor becomes frightened by his creation and abandons it, setting the tragedy of the story in motion.

Cinematics and Visuals

The film has a distinctly Gothic, romantic and painterly appearance like huge laboratories, castles, smoke, shadows and dramatic beams of light. It feels more like a dark fairy tale than straightforward horror.

A major part of the visual identity comes from practical sets, costumes, miniatures and physical effects. Del Toro wanted the film to feel handcrafted, rather than relying entirely on digital environments.

Rating

IMDb 7.4/10Rotten Tomatoes (critics)85%Rotten tomatoes(Audience)94%

The romance in the movie specifies that any person or species needs love and attention to be who they want to be . A person in isolation is no good for himself. Lady Elizebeth represents that real beauty comes within the way she chooses the creature and sees what he is made of; she wasn’t afraid of what harm it would do to her; she saw what the people couldn’t see. Frankenstein suggests that the darkest parts of human nature can emerge not only from within us, but also from the way we treat others.

The question arises those who are created in the labs . do they have proper right to be nurtured and loved or they are to be treated as an experiment to be disposed of?

What I Liked

What I liked most about Frankenstein was its combination of beautiful visuals and emotional storytelling. Guillermo del Toro creates a dark Gothic atmosphere that makes the film visually captivating. The relationship between Victor and the Creature is also emotionally powerful, especially as the story explores loneliness, rejection, and the need for acceptance. The strong performances and detailed production design add even more depth to the film.

What I Didn't Like

Although Frankenstein has many strengths, some parts of the film feel slow and predictable. The pacing can make certain scenes feel longer than necessary, particularly when the story takes time to develop its characters and ideas. Some supporting characters could also have been explored in greater depth. These weaknesses do not ruin the overall experience, but they may make the film feel less engaging in a few moments.

Related reading

• Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026) review
• Best horror movies on Netflix
• The Exorcist (1973) review
• All horror reviews and guides