There’s an old saying: while knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein isn’t the monster, wisdom is knowing Frankenstein is the monster. Dr. Victor Frankenstein is often the main character of adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which makes sense, as he’s the title character. But it’s his creation that, despite having no name, offers the more interesting perspective.
The latest adaptation of Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro for Netflix, appears to be recentering the story on the creature (Jacob Elordi) and his perspective on his creator (Oscar Isaac). After being kept in the shadows, the creature takes center stage in the latest trailer, and we even get to hear his (surprisingly articulate) voice. Check out the trailer below:
“My maker told his tale,” the creature says, “And I… will tell you mine.” This trailer positions the creature as the hero, with the doctor shown as an angry villain. “If you are not to award me love,” the creature warns, “then I will indulge in rage.”
This may seem like a radical take on the classic Frankenstein story, but the original monster is more than just a fumbling brute. In the book, the creature isn’t just vocal, but surprisingly eloquent, explaining his opinions on philosophy, ethics, and his own existence. This is a character who alludes to Paradise Lost when he says, “Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.” He can definitely provide voiceover for a trailer.
This refocusing also suggests we’ll see more of the book’s oft-neglected later parts, where the creature must grapple with how his creator played God and decide who is more deserving of destruction: himself, as an aberration created through irresponsible science, or his creator, as the man who decided to bring that aberration into the world.
It’s a tough subject, but one suitable for Guillermo del Toro’s filmography. If anyone can carefully portray Frankenstein’s monster, it’s the guy who turned the Creature from the Black Lagoon into a romantic hero. The true dilemma may lie in maintaining the film’s balance: in the book, the reader is often just as torn as the creature himself. We’ll soon learn whether that duality survives the jump to the screen.
Frankenstein hits Netflix on November 7, 2025.