By: R.J. Melby

As a longtime fan of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (first falling in love with the book when I was 12), I was among the many fans eager to watch director and screenwriter Guillermo Del Toro’s lifelong passion project. Del Toro has often spoken about his dream to tell his own version of Shelley’s macabre tale, recognizing its multi-layered, complex nature.

Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” film is everything a fan of Mary Shelley’s work wants it to be. Any changes it makes to the story are mindful and succeed in conveying the heart of the novel. Moving away from the previous depictions of mad scientist versus monster, the film instead explores the complications of parenthood—of bringing life to Earth—and the effects of childhood trauma. We see another side to Frankenstein—a darker side, one that is justified through Victor’s relationship with his late father. Mia Goth plays Elizabeth, who in the book is Victor’s future bride. However, this is subtly twisted, making Elizabeth her own independent character with clear wants and needs outside of marriage, which in the film is to Victor’s brother. We see a tender, motherly side to Elizabeth never previously shown. Rest assured, not once does she scream or faint.

Oscar Isaac portrays Victor as a sympathetic villain, acting simultaneously as protagonist and antagonist. Freudian themes abound, as we see Victor’s yearning to stave off death and to make his own “child.” He is an ambitious man, spurned by society as well as by the ones he loves. Isaac depicts Victor’s trauma and grief with skill, and he demonstrates Victor’s heartlessness just as well. Like any father, he has high expectations for his child but is quickly disappointed when things don’t go as planned. Child abandonment, abortion and parenthood: all relevant themes.

As expected from a Guillermo Del Toro film, the visuals are stunning, with a fantastic wardrobe and sets depicting the time of the Romantics. Religious symbols abound, playing into Shelley’s classic. Images of angels and the crucifixion appear alongside depictions of torment and sacrifice. Never has the monster earned such sympathy, and Jacob Elordi does well to show the creature’s rightful melancholy and rage toward his creator. It’s powerful stuff, blending nihilistic philosophy while also showing the beauty of the human heart.

Del Toro and his team have truly pieced together a monstrous masterpiece, one that will go down in history as the best adaptation of Shelley’s work. Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” can be watched on Netflix.