- R
- 2h 30m
- Directed by
-
- Guillermo del Toro
- Novel
- Mary Shelley
- Premiered
- October 17, 2025
- Language
-
- English
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $120,000,000.00
- Revenue
- $144,496.00
- Awards
-
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
- Country
-
- United States of America
- Canada
Frankenstein
- Production
-
- Double Dare You
- Demilo Films
- Bluegrass 7
Synopsis
Guillermo del Toro's ambitious 2025 reimagining of Mary Shelley's timeless tale, Frankenstein, plunges audiences into the unforgiving expanse of the North Pole, setting the stage for a profound exploration of ambition, abandonment, and the very essence of humanity. This epic drama, horror, and fantasy film, clocking in at a substantial 2 hours and 30 minutes, features a stellar cast including Oscar Isaac as the tormented Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as his monumental creation, and Mia Goth in a dual role.
The narrative commences with the Danish vessel of Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) finding itself irrevocably trapped amidst the frozen immensity of the Arctic Ocean. Despite the crushing despair and the biting cold, Captain Anderson remains resolute in his mission. It is in this desolate landscape that they discover Baron Victor Frankenstein, grievously injured. Upon bringing him aboard, their fragile sanctuary is shattered by the terrifying arrival of a colossal Creature, brought to life by Victor's hubris. The ensuing confrontation is brutal; the Creature's immense power overwhelms the crew, resulting in the deaths of six men. Though the sailors manage to repel him, throwing him overboard and firing upon the ice to send him beneath the frigid waters, the encounter leaves an indelible mark.
Seeking refuge in his quarters, Victor begins to confess the harrowing events that led him to this desolate point. His tale, a descent into obsession, begins in his childhood. Victor's early life was marked by a profound disconnect from his aristocratic father, Leopold (Charles Dance), who offered little affection. His solace was found in his mother, Claire (Mia Goth), whose warmth and understanding were a stark contrast to his father's stoicism. Victor's precocious intellect led him to delve into mathematics and science at a tender age.
Tragedy struck with the death of Claire during childbirth, a loss that deeply affected Victor. His father, Leopold, subsequently lavished attention on Victor's infant brother, William, a stark reminder of Victor's own perceived neglect. This paternal favoritism ignited in Victor an all-consuming desire to conquer death itself, a fixation he later described as being accompanied by visions of an "angel of death." Following Leopold's demise, the brothers were separated: William was sent to live with family in Vienna, while Victor pursued his studies in Edinburgh.
By 1855, the adult Victor finds himself before a disciplinary tribunal of the Royal College of Medicine. His transgression? An experiment in reanimating a corpse, an act deemed an affront to both scientific integrity and human dignity. Expelled from the institution, Victor nonetheless attracts the attention of Heinrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a shrewd arms dealer. Harlander, already acquainted with William, who is engaged to his niece Elizabeth (also Mia Goth), sees potential in Victor's controversial work.
Victor accepts Harlander's offer to continue his experiments in a secluded building acquired by the dealer. He reunites with William, and is immediately captivated by Elizabeth. However, his affections are met with polite rejection; Elizabeth finds his obsession with defying death to be foolish.
Back in the present, the chilling reality of Victor's creation intrudes upon the narrative. The Creature, having risen from the icy depths, is spotted by the terrified crew, advancing towards their ship.
Victor's narrative continues, detailing his relocation to Harlander's tower, which becomes his clandestine laboratory. The procurement of bodies for his experiments involves unsavory arrangements, acquiring the remains of executed criminals and war casualties. William, in a display of loyalty, assists Victor and Harlander in the lab's construction. Victor believes he has achieved a monumental breakthrough when he devises a method to channel electrical currents through the lymphatic system, capable of restarting the heart and brain.
On a night of tempestuous weather, Victor prepares to reanimate his creation, intending to harness the power of a lightning strike. In a dramatic turn, Harlander reveals he is dying of syphilis and implores Victor to transfer his brain into the creation, a desperate bid for continued existence. Victor refuses, acutely aware of the disease's likely ravages. In a desperate act, Harlander attempts to sabotage the experiment, leading to a struggle. Harlander slips and falls to his death, his skull fracturing upon impact. Victor, shaken, moves the body and proceeds with his experiment. Despite a powerful lightning strike, Victor is met with crushing disappointment as his creation remains inanimate.
Upon waking, Victor is astounded to find his creation has indeed been animated. His initial awe quickly sours into frustration as the Creature proves incapable of learning beyond uttering Victor's name. Victor confines his creation to the tower's basement, a secret kept hidden. He observes the Creature's remarkable regenerative abilities when a razor slice to his palm heals almost instantaneously.
The arrival of William and Elizabeth at the tower complicates matters. Victor conceals Harlander's fate. Elizabeth, however, discovers the Creature and is mesmerized by him, while he is drawn to her gentle nature. Victor is compelled to reveal the Creature to William, who harbors deep apprehension. Victor later confides in William, showing him Harlander's preserved corpse, framing it as the Creature's act of violent rage. Declaring his experiment a failure, Victor urges William to escort Elizabeth back to Vienna, leaving him to manage the Creature.
Victor chains the Creature and sets the tower ablaze, intending to destroy his creation. However, the Creature breaks free before the flames engulf him. Victor, experiencing a last-minute pang of remorse, returns, only for the tower to explode as he approaches the entrance. The blast costs him his right leg, necessitating a prosthetic. William and Elizabeth return to witness the devastation.
As Victor concludes his harrowing account, the Creature reappears on the ship, poised to attack Captain Anderson. Victor intervenes, pleading with his creation, acknowledging his role in its existence. The Creature then turns to Anderson, ready to recount his own tragic journey.
The Creature's tale unfolds, beginning with his escape from the inferno. He finds refuge in the wilderness, donning the clothes of a deceased man before encountering hunters. He seeks shelter with a kind, elderly Blind Man (David Bradley), witnessing the profound love within the man's family. The Creature becomes their unseen benefactor.
Eventually, he reveals himself to the Blind Man, learning to speak, read, and experience emotions like love and compassion. Their profound friendship is tragically severed when wolves attack. The Creature bravely defends his friend, but the Blind Man succumbs to his wounds. The man's family, blaming the Creature, drives him away, leaving him for dead.
Meanwhile, Victor has been taken in by William and Elizabeth as their wedding approaches. The Creature, having survived the gunshots and realizing his near-immortality, confronts Victor. He demands a companion, a plea Victor vehemently rejects, regretting his creation. The Creature attacks Victor, and Elizabeth, hearing the commotion, rushes to his aid. In the ensuing chaos, Victor attempts to shoot the Creature but accidentally strikes Elizabeth. William arrives with his men, and Victor falsely accuses the Creature of Elizabeth's murder. William and his men perish in the ensuing battle. The Creature carries the dying Elizabeth to a cave. In his final moments, William confesses his lifelong fear of Victor.
Victor pursues the Creature into the Arctic, his attempts to kill him with firearms, a knife, and dynamite proving futile, resulting in his own severe injuries. It is in this desolate pursuit that he encounters Captain Anderson and his crew.
With both narratives concluded, Victor accepts his impending death. He apologizes to the Creature for his cruelty, and the Creature, in a moment of profound forgiveness, acknowledges their bond as father and son before Victor passes away.
As dawn breaks, the Creature assists Anderson's crew in freeing the ship from the ice. Moved by the tragic stories, Anderson abandons his original mission, promising his crew a return home, a declaration met with jubilant cheers. The Creature stands, embracing the rising sun, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek.
Top Billed Cast
Core Crew
Posters
Backdrops
