Frankenstein (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
An ambitious, visually sumptuous retelling of Mary Shelley's classic novel explores the tragic bond between a scientist and his creation.
The story
In 1857, a Royal Danish Navy ship becomes trapped in the ice of the North Pole. The crew discovers a gravely injured Victor Frankenstein, who reveals he created a humanoid creature. The story then unfolds as a dual narrative: Victor's tale of his obsession with reanimating the dead and the subsequent creation of a being that he fails to control, and the Creature's own journey of seeking identity and companionship in a world that fears it. The film explores the consequences of Victor's hubris and the tragic isolation of the being he brought into existence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins in 1857 on a ship trapped in the Arctic, where Victor Frankenstein and a humanoid Creature are found. The narrative splits into two parts. In Part I, Victor's past is revealed: a brilliant but arrogant surgeon who, driven by the loss of his mother and the pressure of a wealthy benefactor, successfully reanimates a body. He creates a creature that possesses immense strength but lacks intellectual growth. After a series of tragic events involving his brother William and his love interest Elizabeth, Victor abandons the creature. In Part II, the Creature's perspective is shown. It survives, finds a home with a family, and learns to read from a blind man. Eventually, it finds Victor and demands a companion. A confrontation leads to the deaths of Elizabeth and William. Victor pursues the creature to the Arctic, where they eventually reconcile as 'father' and 'son' before Victor dies. In the present, the Creature frees the ship from the ice and faces the sunrise.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 150
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Guillermo del Toro
- Writers
- Guillermo del Toro · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Oscar Isaac · Baron Victor Frankenstein; Jacob Elordi · the Creature; Mia Goth · Lady Elizabeth Harlander, Baroness Claire Frankenstein; Christoph Waltz · Henrich Harlander; Christian Convery · young Victor; Felix Kammerer · William Frankenstein; David Bradley · the Blind Man; Lars Mikkelsen · Captain Anderson; Charles Dance · Baron Leopold Frankenstein
- Genres
- Gothic; science fiction; horror
- Themes
- creation and purpose; father-son relationships; hubris; isolation
- Tone and mood
- Gothic romance; lyrical; emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- mythology; body horror; romance; tragedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1818 novel by Mary Shelley
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was named as one of the top ten films of 2025 by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Motion Picture – Drama · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Win; Academy Award · Best Makeup and Hairstyling · Win; Academy Award · Best Production Design · Win
- Production trivia
- The design of the Creature was influenced by Bernie Wrightson's illustrations.; The film features a 158-minute director's cut titled 'Frankenstein: The Reborn Cut' for the Criterion Collection.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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