The Bride! (2026)
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A resurrected woman and a lonely monster embark on a cross-country journey while being hunted by the law and a criminal underworld.
The story
In 1936 Chicago, the ghost of author Mary Shelley seeks to tell a story she couldn't finish in life by possessing Ida, a woman who becomes a target of a local crime boss. Meanwhile, Frankenstein's monster, known as Frank, seeks out a scientist to create a companion for him. They successfully reanimate Ida's corpse, but she loses her memory and believes she is his bride. The pair begins a journey together, fleeing from the law and the criminal elements that seek to silence Ida's past. As they travel toward New York City, they become the subjects of a growing investigation by a determined detective and his assistant.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Mary Shelley's spirit possesses Ida in 1936 Chicago, the woman is revived by the monster Frank, who convinces her she is his bride. They flee to New York City, where they become public sensations. While hiding, they are pursued by Detective Jake Wiles and his assistant Myrna Malloy. The pair eventually reaches Niagara Falls, where Wiles confronts them. Amidst the chaos of a crime syndicate's pursuit, they are eventually cornered. After a series of violent encounters and a final confrontation at a drive-in, the Bride is separated from Frank. She returns to Dr. Euphronius' laboratory. Despite the doctor's initial refusal to help, the couple is eventually reanimated together in a final, glowing moment, while the criminal elements are apprehended by the police.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Writers
- Maggie Gyllenhaal · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jessie Buckley · Ida / Penelope Rogers / The Bride; Christian Bale · Frank; Peter Sarsgaard · Jake Wiles; Annette Bening · Dr. Cornelia Euphronius; Jake Gyllenhaal · Ronnie Reed; Penélope Cruz · Myrna Malloy; John Magaro · Clyde; Matthew Maher · James
- Genres
- gothic romance
- Themes
- identity; loneliness; reanimation
- Tone and mood
- gothic
- Setting
- Chicago and New York City in 1936.
- Premise and plot tags
- monster movie; romance; period piece
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein and Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein.
- Franchise connections
- Frankenstein films
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews and was a box office bomb.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 55; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film features a cameo by Swedish musician Fever Ray.; The film was shot entirely with IMAX-certified digital cameras.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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