When a story has been adapted hundreds of times since 1910—across countless mediums—the obvious question becomes: do we really need another version?
Director Guillermo del Toro answers that question with confidence and care, offering not a retelling, but a re-interrogation of Frankenstein.
Set at the crossroads of science, faith, and ambition, this Frankenstein explores creation, consequence, and responsibility with emotional weight. Oscar Isaac brings a purposeful madness to Victor Frankenstein, while Jacob Elordi delivers an award-caliber, deeply human, and commanding performance as the Creature. Supporting turns from Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance round out a remarkable ensemble.
Viewed through a Christian lens, the film becomes a meditation on creation without stewardship — a reminder that in Scripture, creation is always bound to care, humility, and accountability. The Creature’s longing for acceptance echoes the idea of the Imago Dei: a being made, yet abandoned, searching for dignity, purpose, and grace in a world quick to reject what it does not understand. At its core, Frankenstein asks a deeply human and deeply Christian question — what purpose has God created me to serve, and who am I when love is withheld?
What makes this film stand out for me is how complete it feels—story, performances, score, costumes, and production design all working in harmony. From the attention to practical effects and makeup to the beautifully immersive cinematography, del Toro proves himself a master craftsman, breathing life into something that feels both familiar and entirely new.
Frankenstein invites us to sit with difficult questions about identity, fathers and sons, compassion, belonging, purpose, and loneliness. — Noel T. Manning, II
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