Thoughts on Frankenstein (2025)

I tend to avoid watching film adaptations for books I've read, since I'm usually left feeling dissatisfied by changes to the original storyline. But as someone who enjoys Guillermo Del Toro's work, I watched Frankenstein this weekend to see how he brought Mary Shelley's story to life.

L Photo: Frankenstein 2025 (Netflix)

I read the book when I was in high school, so my memory is a little vague. I remember the moral dilemma of the creature and whether or not it should be considered human. It's hideous appearance and the unnatural nature of its creation causes Victor to abandon it, and that alienation becomes a catalyst for violence. The creature starts killing those close to Victor as an act of revenge, including his brother William, his friend Henry, and his wife Elizabeth. This made me sympathize with Victor the most, since his hard work and dedication ended up bringing him so much grief.

The movie takes Frankenstein in a different lens. It pointedly illustrates Victor Frankenstein as the antagonist, reflecting his poor relationship with his father in his cruel treatment of the creature. Rather than abandoning it out of fear and disgust, he leave the creature for its lack of intellect, which is an allusion to his trauma with his father's lessons. Victor also exudes a high level of arrogance and selfishness through his disregard for those around him, including his younger brother.

The creature's portrayal is also different from Mary Shelley's work. It has Del Toro's creative touch of loving the monster, painting it as human-like and very naive. It latches onto Victor's name like a child and calls out to him, walking like a newborn fawn and looking at the world with innocent fascination. There's a clear scene when he feeds the deer and watches it get shot by hunters, a metaphor to how cruelty and violence is the work of humans. Unlike the book, the creature never lashes out in violence, and Victor tries to convince society it's a monster by blaming it for the deaths of Harlender and Elizabeth.

With Victor Frankenstein as the film's antagonist it makes the creature seem like an abandoned child. Towards the end of the film, Victor and the creature even call each other "son" and "father," emphasizing that their complicated relationship is a result of generational trauma and violence.

The book has a different, stronger theme of philosophy and morality. The creature reads Paradise Lost and relates to Satan, abandoned by its creator with no choice but to lash out in vengeance. In Mary Shelley's tale, no single character seems inherently cruel, but they are driven to violence because of their circumstances. This articulates how isolation, whether it is self inflicted or out of one's control, drives the moral dilemma of self worth and belonging for both Victor and the creature.

Photo: Frankenstein 2025 (Netflix)

I think that the Frankenstein movie was really well done on its own. The story was told well, and I liked how it was divided into both Victor and the creature's perspectives. I also loved Mia Goth's performance, and how her Elizabeth told a story of her own. It was a great film overall and definitely one of the strongest movies of the year, even if it didn't align with Mary Shelley's original story and message.