Frankenstein

Breathing new life into an iconic tale, the latest cinematic reincarnation of Frankenstein, a haunting exploration of mad science and toxic masculinity that feels as frightening as ever.

This reimagining of Mary Shelley’s iconic novel from director Guillermo del Toro is an exquisitely crafted blend of period costume drama with classic monster movie, layered with melancholy dread.

Consistently unsettling and punctuated with outbursts of visceral terror, the film gives del Toro another macabre visual playground in which to unspool a thoughtful yet thrilling episode of gothic horror.

It establishes an appropriately ominous tone with a harrowing prologue set aboard a marooned 19th century arctic ship whose crew is being terrorized by a rampaging beast.

That encounter becomes a framing device for eccentric doctor Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who boarded the vessel in desperation, to relay his story in flashback.

Victor details his upbringing in an affluent family with an overbearing father (Charles Dance) whose wife died during childbirth. “No one can conquer death,” he tells the youngster.

Victor sets out to prove the opposite with his controversial genetic experiments, which catch the eye of an investor (Christoph Waltz) who agrees to fund Victor’s research before their agreement backfires.

As he retreats to his laboratory, his benefactor’s alluring niece (Mia Goth) becomes engaged to Victor’s younger brother (Felix Kammerer), which causes friction just as Victor is about to make his breakthrough with the Creature (Jacob Elordi).

At first eager to teach his curious protégé the ways of the world, their relationship quickly becomes consumed by hostility and resentment. Left to find his own way in the world, the Creature realizes he’s a rogue outsider who will never be accepted. His childlike innocence spirals into an obsession with bloodthirsty vengeance.

Frankenstein escalates suspense through intriguing character dynamics and moral complexity rather than relying on jump scares or ostentatious visual effects.

Del Toro’s screenplay fleshes out a story that’s familiar at its core, although this retelling bogs down in exposition in its first half. Still, the artistic merits outweigh the narrative flaws.

Isaac (Ex Machina) brings dimension to Victor, who’s outwardly arrogant and narcissistic but also conveys genuine courage and conviction. Elordi (Priscilla) finds the heart beneath his character’s physical and emotional wounds.

By the end, the Creature is arguably more human than anyone else. And he gives the film what his body doesn’t have — a soul.

Rated R, 149 minutes.