Frankenstein (2025) Movie Review NO SPOILERS: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz

Let me stitch up a movie review for you WITHOUT SPOILERS. As a 90s kid, even though I was in my late 20s when I saw the 1930s Frankenstein for the first time (with Boris Karloff and Colin Clive), I felt like I knew the Frankenstein story because of all the references from 90s cartoons and beyond. From Scooby-Doo to Bugs Bunny, I’m sure they all had a Frankenstein episode. But this Guillermo del Toro version still felt fresh to me. I had the modern 2025/2026 shine. It also had actors we know and love, like Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz.

Plot

The story follows Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a man OBSESSED with bringing the DEAD back to LIFE. He has a LARGE ego too. He eventually succeeds in reanimating a MASSIVE, STITCHED-TOGETHER, and oddly HOT & SEXY corpse, because it’s fckn’ Jacob Elordi. Unlike the slow and boring versions of the past, this MOSTER is intelligent, articulate, and deeply hurt. Once he’s abandoned by his creator in the frozen wilderness, the movie turns into a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse that spans across Europe, ending in a gothic showdown where…let’s just say…things happen.

Review

Pros

• The “Primal” Performance of Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac: Jacob Elordi is great as he plays with this weird, childlike emptiness that evolves into pure, terrifying rage. When he speaks his first word — “Victor” — it doesn’t feel like a movie line. It feels like a threat. Correct me if I’m wrong, I think this is the first time I saw the Monster say ‘Victor’ in any Frankenstein adaptation. Oscar Isaac is great as a frustrated ‘Dad’. But when he successfully created his ‘Child’, he IMMEDIATELY rejects him. He likes ‘creating’ ;) the child, but NOT TAKING CARE of it.
• Hollywood Economics: You see every cent of the budget on the screen. The production design is insane — the rust, the blood, the frozen Danish landscape. It’s NOT CGI SLOP, which we see in many movies today. It felt substantial and expensive.
• The “Victor” Problem?: Oscar Isaac is a legend, but many casual viewers find Victor too unlikeable. But that’s the point of the story. You LOVE your husband or boyfriend until you find out that they are NOT INTO TAKING CARE of your BABY. Frankenstein is a metaphor for irresponsible fatherhood and neglecting your child.

Cons

• There are SLUGGISH and BORING parts in the middle.
• Many times, it feels like a kid’s movie. Not a fairytale for adults, which is what most Guillermo del Toro movies are.
• The Monsxter x Elizabeth relationship is INTERESTING, but they did not push it. But it would sound WEIRD with my next suggestion. In a perfect world, Elizabeth and Viktor would have gotten married sooner. Elizabeth would take care of the monster and it would be a Mom and Dad situation. But I’m suggesting that Elizabeth got ATTRACTED to the Monster. And we see BITS and PIECES of that, just like the Monster’s flesh and organs stitched up by Viktor.
• There is a line in the end which I will NOT SPOIL. But it’s essentially spoonfeeding YOU. It’s cliché, but it might STILL work on many people.

Summary

As mentioned, Frankenstein is a metaphor for irresponsible fatherhood and neglecting your child. It’s also about Abandonment and the Responsibility of Creation. Also, if you bring something into this world — whether it’s a child, an AI, or a monster — HOW RESPONSIBLE are YOU?

One last thing…

It’s a sad tragedy. The MONSTER just wants LOVE.

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