Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Guillermo del Toro sure does love monsters—and, as my fiancé said, “his long-haired women in white dresses holding candelabras”. It’s a very vibes-heavy movie, as you might expect from del Toro. It’s certainly not a subtle film, and it makes a lot of changes from its source material. But on the whole, it works really well as an exploration of the cycles of trauma and how difficult it can be to break them.

Also, Jacob Elordi: send tweet. What an outstanding, breathtaking performance. Though the makeup and prosthetics don’t always look amazing in every lighting, his physicality gives the Creature such life—innocence and horror all twisted together. He’s absolutely brilliant, as is the rest of the cast. And del Toro’s visuals here are beyond breathtaking. The whole film is such a feast for the eyes, dripping with details and luxuriating in its gothic atmosphere. It’s exactly what you picture when you imagine Guillermo del Toro making a Frankenstein movie in the best way possible. 

Yeah, the movie could’ve benefitted from taking fifteen minutes from Victor’s story and giving it to the Creature’s; and yes, softening the Creature’s darker aspects does rob both the character and the film itself of some of its effectiveness. But when it’s otherwise firing on all cylinders, what’s there really to complain about?

4 out of 5 wands.