Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Review

Oscar Issac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz lead the cast in Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein. See the final trailer here.

On November 7th, Netflix will release Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the classic Gothic horror novel Frankenstein. This comes after the film opened in selected cinemas on October 17th.  The legend comes to life with a cast led by Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz.  The final trailer for the film has been unveiled.

We saw the film at the recent BFI London Film Festival. In his remarks, our editor, Phil Roberts, had this to say about the film:

Guillermo del Toro’s #Frankenstein is a monstrous triumph. The director’s signature style and unique vision have crafted a truly exceptional adaptation of Mary Shelley’s tale. With its incredible heart, stunning soundtrack and breathtaking cinematography, it’s a rare gem. #LFF

While I myself had this to say about the film:

#GuillermoDelToro’s #Frankenstein is a masterpiece of filmmaking. From start to finish, this astonishing version of the story is perfection. An outstanding cast makes the film a cinematic gem, but it’s Jacob Elordi who steals the film. Cannot praise it highly enough #BFI #LFF

You can read my full review of the film here.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

“This has been, for me, the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life,” del Toro told the crowd during the live event. “I first read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a kid and saw [star of the 1931 adaptation] Boris Karloff in, what became for me, an almost religious state. Monsters have become my personal belief system.”

Jacob Elordi Is Frankenstein's Monster In Guillermo del Toro's Adaptation Of Frankenstein, Coming To Netflix In November
Frankenstein. Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

Del Toro may have been dreaming of Mary Shelley’s classic monster since childhood. But it took him decades to finally adapt the novel in earnest. In the interim, the iconography of the beloved tale seeped into the rest of del Toro’s filmography. Think of the lightning-infused birth of Pinocchio in his 2022 Oscar-winning Pinocchio. Or the wounded humanity of Ron Perlman’s monstrous Hellboy.

“Exploring the relationship between humanity and monsters, creator and creation, father and son has consumed my stories again and again,” he said on stage at Tudum 2025. “I wanted to make this film before even I had a camera, and I’ve been actively pursuing it now for 25 years.”

FRANKENSTEIN. – BTS – (L to R) Director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein on the set of Frankenstein. Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.

OSCAR ISSAC

For Isaac, playing the part of Victor Frankenstein has been

“the experience of a lifetime. The passion, the love, and dedication we’ve all put into this movie is reflected in every frame,” said the actor during the live event. “This film stands on the shoulders of every creature feature, but it is a dark and sumptuous emotional drama — a character piece sprung from the pages of Mary Shelley’s classic novel.”

MIA GOTH

Mia Goth, who plays Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor’s fiancée, “couldn’t wait to dive in” when she heard del Toro was adapting the classic novel.

“I love material like this, and it all started with the book,” she said.

JACOB ELORDI

Elordi also praised the director.

“Guillermo is a real-life genius, and I am immensely grateful to be in the film and really proud of the work that we all put into it,” he said.

Frankenstein. (L to R) Felix Kammerer as William Frankenstein and Mia Goth as Elizabeth in Frankenstein. Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.

THE PREMISE

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

CREDITS

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

SCREENPLAY BY: Guillermo del Toro

BASED ON: ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.’ by Mary Shelley

PRODUCERS: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, Scott Stuber

CAST: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery, with Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz

IMAGES

Frankenstein is in selected cinemas now, and arrives on Netflix on November 7th.

 

 

 

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