Guillermo del Toro’s new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has just dropped on Netflix after a limited theatrical release. This version of the classic story brings mixed feelings, as it misses the point of the novel while still providing a unique take on the story. While the film’s narrative is clear and the production quality is high, it blurs the line between interpreting a classic story in a distinct manner and fundamentally misunderstanding what made the source material powerful, intriguing, and relevant. 

Many of the issues with this film are found in the characters and their relationships with one another. While some changes are less important to this adaptation, such as the elimination of minor characters in the novel, the changes made to Victor and Elizabeth are so drastic that they rob the audience of having a complete understanding of Victor as a character and how he perceives others. Rather than Elizabeth being raised alongside Victor, treated as a present to him, which showcased his ability to dehumanize people from a young age, she is introduced as his brother’s fiancée, and their relationship is boiled down to the same clichés found in teen rom-coms. 

Unfortunately, Victor’s relationship with the Creature is a more disappointing experience, as it is the key relationship in the story. While the film does allegorize the Creature as Adam, it appears to be more focused on portraying a father-son relationship between Victor and the Creature, missing the chance to provide substantial commentary on the moral dilemma Victor faces in the novel over playing God.

This messaging is not consistent throughout the film, either, as Victor repeatedly refers to the Creature as an “it,” not taking on the paternal role the film is implying he feels he should have. Furthermore, the film greatly altered Victor’s relationship to his own father, only so their poor relationship could be paralleled with Victor and the Creature’s. When every major character now has such radically different views of one another, their worldview and the messaging of the material shifts, and this shift was not particularly revolutionary or more substantial. 

An additional note on their relationship concerns the moment when the Creature is brought to life, a vital point in the story that has been entirely bastardized by popular adaptations of the novel. Rather than look at his creation in horror, immediately realizing his hubris, Victor remains fascinated by his work, allowing himself to proceed with his experiments without going through what is one of the most critical points of revelation and growth in the original tale.  

Despite these character changes, the performances by the principal actors were stellar, as they all met the tone the film was going for. Jacob Elordi specifically deserves to be highlighted, as he was cast shortly before production began due to Andrew Garfield dropping out of the project. Elordi’s tall and wide frame made him physically intimidating as the Creature, but he was still able to convey the nuanced sensitivity of the character in his demeanor. 

While a film adaptation of a novel should not be criticized for taking risks or not being an exact one-to-one retelling of its source material, there are major themes and symbolism in Shelley’s work that are too important and relevant to be ignored. With so many adaptations of Frankenstein having recently been made or coming out soon (Poor Things, Lisa Frankenstein, The Bride!), there may be some pressure to create something original, but del Toro’s adaptation felt as if it came at the expense of something much larger than his film.

The original story has become progressively more lost, as the pop culture that has formed around it, particularly over the last century, has become so far removed from Shelley’s brilliance. While this adaptation was absolutely not the worst offender, as it clearly still had something to convey, the thematic approach it took felt disingenuous, and well-built sets and eye-catching cinematography can only take a film so far.