Frankenstein (2025) Review

By Stella Carroccio

On May 31, 2025, Netflix released the teaser trailer for a new adaptation of “Frankenstein,” which would be released on the streaming service in November. The movie had a limited theatrical release in October before coming onto Netflix on Nov. 7.

“Frankenstein,” based on the book of the same name by Mary Shelley, follows an overambitious scientist named Victor Frankenstein who attempts to conquer death, or “play God” as the movie’s tagline says, but in the end creates a creature that causes more harm than good. The movie was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as The Creature, and Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza.

Some modern retellings of “Frankenstein” lean into the trope of a mad scientist creating a monster, but Del Toro’s version stays true to the themes of the original novel, while still deviating from it and creating a standalone story.

Another great thing about the movie is that instead of heavily relying on CGI or green screens, it uses practical effects like puppetry and real sets to create its haunting visuals. It is very refreshing to see, given how newer movies feel artificial and fake because they use too much CGI. So much detail was put into everything from the sets to the costumes that viewers might need to stop and pause the movie to take it all in.

“Frankenstein” is a great horror movie, and you do not need to have read the book to fully enjoy it. There is rarely ever a boring moment, but it does feel a little long with a total runtime of two hours and thirty minutes. However, it does a good job of giving enough time to breathe in between its climactic moments and is very well-paced.