5 Best 'Frankenstein' Adaptations to Watch After Guillermo del Toro's Movie
If del Toro's film has sparked your interest in this legend, now is the perfect time to learn more.
Guillermo del Toro, a visionary master of poetic horror, has turned to one of the greatest literary archetypes, offering his own deeply personal interpretation of Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley's monster and its tragic fate have inspired countless adaptations throughout the history of cinema, ranging from the terrifying to the philosophical and from the most faithful to the loosest.
1. 'Young Frankenstein', 1974
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
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In 1974, Mel Brooks created a charming parody of Frankenstein, styled after the horror films of the 1930s. The main character is Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the original Frankenstein.
He has no intention of bringing anyone back to life and leads a life as a university professor. One day, however, Frederick inherits his grandfather's castle in Transylvania.
There, he finds a laboratory and a team of assistants: the hunchback Igor, the blonde Inga, and Frau Blücher, his grandfather's mistress who dreams of resurrecting him.
2. 'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein', 1994
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
It was expected that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein would finally deliver an adaptation worthy of the novel. At least, that was the ambition of producer Francis Ford Coppola and director and actor Kenneth Branagh, who played Frankenstein.
Though the 1994 movie received less-than-stellar reviews, it went down in history as the most faithful adaptation.
The film is worth watching for Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter alone. Carter plays Elizabeth, Frankenstein's half-sister and wife, who becomes the main victim of the creator's obsession and narcissism.
3. 'Frankenstein', 2004
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Perhaps the most family-friendly adaptation of Shelley's novel, the 2004 Hallmark TV series takes almost no liberties – the creators obediently follow the doctor and the Creature.
Like the novel, the series is permeated with Dr. Frankenstein's and the Creature's vacillations and doubts. Interestingly, the Creature in this project sometimes resembles Frankenstein's creation more than in other adaptations – a poorly stitched, restless body with a lost soul.
While this version is sinister enough to stir the imagination, it lacks the horror of Shelley's novel. Nevertheless, it is suitable for the youngest viewers.
4. 'Frankenstein', 1931
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
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Director James Whale based his screenplay on Peggy Webling's 1927 play of the same name. After paring down the novel's content, Whale focused on genre-defining special effects and contemporary paranoia in the face of scientific progress.
As a result, this revolutionary horror movie eclipsed even the source material. Boris Karloff's portrayal of the sad, thuggish figure became the standard for future adaptations of the novel, and the cold-blooded, inhuman scientist became a trope in cinema.
5. 'Bride of Frankenstein', 1935
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
In James Whale's sequel, the surviving monster wanders the Earth, searching for affection and tenderness. Through frightening people, he learns to be human – rude, jealous, and wronged by everyone. Yet, he remains a misunderstood outsider.
Even the laboratory-made beauty, assembled from corpse fragments, refuses his hand in marriage. She has no intention of conforming to societal expectations – freedom is more precious.
