Copyright independent
Decades in the making, Del Toro’s lavish Gothic horror is something of a passion project for the Mexican auteur. But there are signs this enormous film sat in the oven for too long. Indeed, Mary Shelley’s game-changing novel is -remixed throughout. I don’t recall a filthy-rich benefactor (-Christoph Waltz’s Henrich Harlander) from the original story and Lady -Elizabeth (an underused Mia Goth) should be engaged to the mad scientist and not his watery younger brother. But here we are, and Del Toro’s tale struggles with these wonky readjustments. The central premise remains untouched: at some point along the way, Victor Frankenstein -(Oscar Isaac, hamming it up) creates his monster, brilliantly portrayed by – checks notes – an unrecognisable Jacob Elordi. Horrifying and heartbreaking, Elordi’s mournful creature is quite unlike any other in the Shelley cinematic vault. Del Toro is lucky to have him around. Three stars
