Director Guillermo del Toro takes a crack at
telling a story everybody already knows—or do they? I daresay
this exceptionally faithful adaptation of Shelley’s book (as
near as I can remember it, having read it many years ago) will
have more than a few surprises for those who only know the tale
from James Whale’s film, and decades of Halloween decorations and
other bastardized versions. More interesting than story setting
(mostly, the Arctic) and details (he speaks) for those with
broader knowledge are this work’s fascinating philosophical
nuances. I’m not sure there’s been an adaption of the book that
more clearly represents Victor’s work as not merely madness and
hubris but actual outright villainy. That’s an important part of
the story and makes it a primary analogy for any number of
situations that involve the dangers of arrogance and overreach.
From a cinematic standpoint, the most striking feature of this
feature is its visual style; the scenes are all feasts for the
eyes, especially the picture-perfect examples of gothic-romantic
set design. (These sets really give vaulted ceilings a workout.)
The script and acting are very good, too. Oscar Isaac does a
fine job of being villainous without failing to convey that his
character—the bad doctor—doesn’t believe himself to be the
problem. Meanwhile, Jacob Elordi plays the creature from grunts
to eloquence believably, while mixing in just the right amount
of menace when the situation calls for it. This really is a
strong candidate for best adaptation of this tale ever. Yeah,
acts of creation often go awry, but sometimes they work out just
fine.
