a review of 科学怪人

HOOPTOBER XII NIGHT THIRTY-ONE: I started this challenge not knowing if Netflix was gonna give this any kind of theatrical release prior to Halloween, and I'm so glad they did. Mary Shelley's original novel has been a favorite of mine since I first read it in high school, and I've always been fascinated by the choices made by all the various filmmakers and storytellers who have tried adapting it over the years. And I'm delighted to say that Guillermo del Toro -- a man who we all know has had this story burning a hole in his brain since childhood -- has made one of the best and most distinctive adaptations of FRANKENSTEIN I've ever seen, pulling in details not only from the book itself but also from the social and political history of the time it was written. It's not an exact adaptation of the book, and I think purists may have a difficult time with some of the specific deviations that del Toro makes from the text. But ultimately I feel like it respects that text on a fundamental level by elaborating on concepts and relationships that are only lightly touched upon or underdeveloped in the novel. One of the things that I admire about this version is the level of detail that del Toro goes to in depicting the creature's creation, delving into both the fleshy biomechanics behind its assembly and the esoteric metaphysics hinted at in Shelley's text. This is also one of the few adaptations that I can recall that specifically puts distinct storytelling frames around both Frankenstein's AND the creature's stories, allowing the creature to not only relate the heartbreaking narrative of his life but to let the audience directly experience it from his point of view as in the novel. We also get some insight into Frankenstein-the-creator's upbringing, suggesting that perhaps the poor treatment of his creation is part of the cycle of generational abuse, passing from parent to child. Both Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi do a fine job embodying their characters, and Mia Goth makes a fierce impression as the first Elizabeth I've seen in any adaptation to have a real sense of agency over her fate in the story. I also love the sheer number of craggy and distinctive middle-aged/elderly character actors appearing throughout this movie: Charles Dance! Lars Mikkelsen! David Bradley! Christoph freaking Waltz! I could probably go on for pages and pages about how much I enjoyed this movie but I encourage anyone reading this to seek out a screening at your local cinema if it's playing near you. It'll probably look fine on your TV when it hits Netflix in a couple of weeks, but the visuals on this really cry out for a deluxe theatrical presentation.