From classic novel to streaming spotlight, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein arrived on Netflix with a level of anticipation rarely seen in modern Gothic cinema. This visually stunning adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel has captivated audiences worldwide, soaring to No. 1 on Netflix charts with 33.8 million views in its first full week of streaming. It’s easy to see why. Del Toro takes this gothic tale and pours his heart into it, ultimately delivering the Frankenstein adaptation that was long-needed.
Del Toro approaches Mary Shelley’s iconic story with reverence while allowing his Mexican Catholic background to illuminate through the fiction. Oscar Isaac, the actor who plays ‘Victor Frankenstein,’ has called it “an emotional Mexican melodrama,” stating that the “very European story” is told in an “extremely Latin point of view.”
In that same tone, he allows the Creature to become more than a stitched-up body. He is the neglected son who bears wounds passed from parent to child. In Del Toro’s hands, the infamous creature is heartbreakingly human. Jacob Elordi, standing at a towering 6 ‘5 stature, portrays the Creature with a gentle, wide-eyed innocence that makes the idea of his existence endearing. The performance convinces audiences that a reanimated corpse can be a soulful heartthrob.
Objectively, Elordi didn’t just convince the audience, but none other than Del Toro himself. According to the director, the cast was chosen purely based on their eyes. “[Isaac] had brilliance, madness, seduction and pain, [while Elordi] was completely open. He had an innocence, openness, and a purity in his eyes that was completely disarming.”
Opposite to the creature, Oscar Isaac brings a perspective to the role of Dr. Victor Frankenstein that thoroughly expresses the downfall of men who are driven by grief and obsession. In most Frankenstein adaptations, the creature is shown as a brute, but the reverse can be said for Victor. There is a build-up that illustrates where his pain comes from and how he ruthlessly responds to it.
The film shows the roots of Victor’s turmoil- an austere father, a dead mother, and personal failure- so that by the time he brings his Creature to life, it is clear what mix of heartbreak and arrogance drives him to pursue such ambition. Isaac’s performance illustrates Victor’s tragic descent from a hopeful boy to a mad scientist. Del Toro perfectly represents him as a cautionary figure of how genius and trauma can combine into madness.
Beyond that, Mia Goth shines as Lady Elizabeth, a supporting role that poses as an angelic mediator between the creature and Victor. Although Del Toro illustrates Lady Elizabeth’s intelligence and sheer desire for purity, he also expresses her daintiness through her jewelry.
Draped in authentic Tiffany & Co. jewelry, Goth has three gorgeous pieces that give the audience a glimpse into aristocratic life. Tiffany partnered with del Toro’s team, providing 27 pieces of archival jewelry to adorn the characters and enhance the 19th-century setting. Overall, the top-notch casting and attention to detail have not just reanimated the creature, but the story itself.
