Guillermo del Toro’s Latest Gothic Sci-Fi Horror Stuns Critics with Spectacular Score

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has arrived, and it is already sparking conversations among critics and fans alike. The film is a gothic sci-fi horror adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, with del Toro both writing and directing.

The movie features a strong ensemble cast, including Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza, Christoph Waltz as Victor’s patron Henrich Harlander, and supporting roles from Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, and others.

The film premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, in the main competition. It is set for a limited theatrical release on October 17, before arriving globally on Netflix on November 7.

The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but arrogant scientist who creates a living being, an experiment that leads to tragedy for both the creator and his creation.

Critics have praised the film for its visual beauty and del Toro’s unique style. Many highlighted the detailed production design, lavish costumes, and grand sets, noting that the film feels like a work from a director fully immersed in his vision.

The gothic atmosphere and melodramatic tone were seen as both bold and captivating, showing del Toro’s passion for creating a world that is simultaneously fantastical and humanistic.

The performances, especially those of Isaac and Elordi, were considered intense and compelling, adding depth to the familiar story. The musical score was also widely appreciated, enhancing the emotional and dramatic moments throughout the film.

It might be a little dismembered at times but one can’t help but swoon at something as life-affirming as del Toro’s humanistic rendition of Frankenstein.

Connor Lightbody

The kind of opulent filmmaking we need more of, and like del Toro’s version of Frankenstein, feels like part of a disappearing world. One wishes that del Toro got the chance to make his Frankenstein 20 years ago. Maybe then, it would have felt more whole.

Hoai-Tran Bu

Del Toro has written and directed a bombastic but watchable new version of Mary Shelley’s great novel and makes of it a stately melodrama.

Peter Bradshaw

Whatever its flaws, the director has filled Frankenstein with seemingly everything he loves, and it reflects his obsessions. It feels like the work of a true madman.

Bilge Ebiri

Del Toro throws everything he can at the screen. Frankenstein is loud, bombastic, sublime and silly. This is a universe in which towers totter above precipices, cellars drip hollowly and women wear impossible dresses in the snow.

John Bleasdale

However, the movie has received some criticism as well. Some felt it lacked genuine horror or suspense, focusing more on visual spectacle than tension or fear.

Others noted that the storytelling could feel crowded or overwhelming, with too many dramatic flourishes that sometimes distracted from the central plot. The Creature, a key part of the story, left some viewers underwhelmed, and the wide-angle cinematography made certain scenes feel smaller or less impactful than intended.

There’s no horror or suspense whatsoever, just magical dismemberments under golden hues and glittering harps on the soundtrack. It’s all kind of perverse, and I’m not sure if Mr. del Toro really meant it that way.

Martin Tsai

For all Del Toro’s formal mastery, this Frankenstein is ultimately short of the voltage needed really to bring it to life.

Geoffrey Macnab

Gorgeous as it may be, the entire film feels as if we’re watching through a peephole. Strangely, [Dan] Laustsen’s wide-angle lenses make “Frankenstein” feel smaller, when the point was conceivably to squeeze more image into every frame.

Peter Debruge

The performances are all camp and no soul, the ideas barely there and the centrepiece creature consistently underwhelming.

Kevin Maher

Frankenstein currently holds a 77% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 22 reviews. While opinions vary, the film clearly reflects del Toro’s artistic vision and commitment to a grand, gothic aesthetic.

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