Victor Frankenstein (2015)
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A medical student and his circus-rescued assistant push the boundaries of science to artificially create life.
The story
In 1860s London, medical student Victor Frankenstein witnesses a hunchbacked circus performer use anatomical knowledge to save a fellow performer. Intrigued, Victor rescues the man, cures his deformity, and names him Igor Straussman. Together, they begin experiments to artificially create life, drawing the scrutiny of Inspector Roderick Turpin, who views their work as heretical. Victor's pursuit of scientific advancement leads to the creation of a monstrous chimpanzee-like creature. After a disastrous university demonstration results in the creature's escape and subsequent death, Victor is expelled, and the duo faces increasing pressure from both the law and their own ambitions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1860s London, medical student Victor Frankenstein rescues a hunchbacked circus performer named Igor Straussman. Together, they attempt to create life, first producing a monstrous chimpanzee-like creature named Gordon. After Gordon escapes and causes a disaster leading to Victor's expulsion, Igor reconnects with Lorelei, an aerialist. Victor, haunted by his brother Henry's death, receives funding from a classmate, Finnegan, to create a humanoid being named "Prometheus." After a police raid destroys Victor's lab, they flee to Scotland. Igor becomes uneasy about Finnegan's plan to weaponize Prometheus and eventually is cast out. Igor and Lorelei travel to Scotland to stop Victor. During a thunderstorm, Victor successfully animates Prometheus, but it lacks sentience and kills the obsessed Inspector Turpin. Victor and Igor work together to destroy the creature by destroying its two hearts. Afterward, Victor goes into hiding in the Scottish countryside, sending a letter to Igor thanking him for his friendship and declaring him his "greatest creation."
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul McGuigan
- Writers
- Max Landis · writer
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Radcliffe · Igor Straussman; James McAvoy · Victor Frankenstein; Jessica Brown Findlay · Lorelei; Andrew Scott · Inspector Roderick Turpin; Charles Dance · Baron Frankenstein; Freddie Fox · Finnegan; Mark Gatiss · Dettweiler; Callum Turner · Alistair
- Genres
- science fantasy; horror
- Themes
- Science vs. Morality; Creation and Responsibility; Friendship; Obsession
- Tone and mood
- Playful; Postmodern; Gothic; Dark
- Premise and plot tags
- Science Fiction; Horror; Body Horror; Reimagining
- Source material / true-story basis
- Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 36/100 score on Metacritic. It was described as a 'bizarre and confused reboot' and a 'bloated and soulless experiment.'
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 26% · review count: 138; Metacritic · score: 36 · scale: 100 · review count: 28; CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F; Empire · score: 4 · scale: 5; Total Film · score: 3 · scale: 5; RogerEbert.com · score: 1.5 · scale: 4; IGN · score: 5.8 · scale: 10; Common Sense Media · score: 2 · scale: null; ReelViews · score: 2 · scale: 4
- Production trivia
- The film's release date was postponed multiple times, eventually landing on November 25, 2015.; The production budget was $40 million, while it grossed $34.2 million worldwide.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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