Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: A Gothic Masterpiece Revives Mary Shelley’s Timeless Horror on Netflix

Guillermo del Toro, the Oscar-winning director behind fantastical tales like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” has long dreamed of adapting Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.” Now, that vision comes to life in a gothic science fiction horror film set for select theaters on October 17, 2025, and streaming globally on Netflix starting November 7, 2025. Starring Oscar Isaac as the ambitious scientist Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the tragic Creature, and a supporting cast including Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz, the film promises a faithful yet visually lavish take on the classic story of hubris, creation, and downfall.

Del Toro’s passion for Shelley’s work dates back to his childhood in Mexico, where the novel became a formative influence, akin to a “Bible” for the filmmaker. In 2007, he publicly expressed a desire to helm a “Miltonian tragedy” version, praising an early script by Frank Darabont that later informed Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 adaptation. The project stalled multiple times due to funding issues and del Toro’s packed schedule, including blockbusters like “Hellboy” and intimate horrors like “Crimson Peak.” By 2020, he envisioned a multi-film epic to capture the novel’s shifting perspectives and complexity, but Netflix’s multi-year deal revived it in 2023, fresh off del Toro’s Academy Award win for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”

Filming commenced in February 2024, wrapping amid challenges like the SAG-AFTRA strikes that reshuffled casting. Andrew Garfield was initially set for the Creature but exited due to scheduling conflicts, with Jacob Elordi stepping in—a switch that forced a rapid redesign of the monster’s prosthetics. Del Toro’s team, led by makeup artist Mike Hill, had nine months planned for Garfield’s look but pivoted in just nine weeks for the taller Elordi, drawing inspiration from Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations and Renaissance sculptures like St. Bartholomew’s flayed form to emphasize visible veins, tendons, and a sense of tragic beauty rather than outright grotesquerie.

The plot adheres closely to Shelley’s narrative: Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, defies nature by assembling and animating a Creature from scavenged body parts, only for his ambition to unleash tragedy for both creator and creation. Del Toro infuses his signature style, setting elements during the Crimean War and framing the story through dual perspectives—Victor’s obsession and the Creature’s quest for humanity—while exploring themes of grief, loneliness, and the blurred line between creator and monster. Unlike many adaptations that vilify the Creature, del Toro portrays him as eloquent and philosophical, a “patron saint” figure evoking sympathy amid rage and vulnerability. The film balances horror with emotional depth, echoing del Toro’s reimaginings of monsters as misunderstood beings in works like “The Shape of Water.”

Oscar Isaac embodies Victor with a “terrifying elegance,” capturing the scientist’s magnetic yet repulsive drive. Jacob Elordi, transforming under layers of prosthetics, delivers a standout performance as the Creature—fragile yet towering, blending innocence with fury. Mia Goth plays Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor’s fiancée (or in some interpretations, his brother’s), adding layers of gothic romance and tension. Supporting roles include Felix Kammerer as Victor’s brother William, Charles Dance as the stern patriarch Leopold, Christoph Waltz as an arms dealer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, and a cameo by Ralph Ineson. Alexandre Desplat’s score, lyrical and emotional, complements the visuals, having collaborated with del Toro on prior projects.

Production wrapped efficiently, with del Toro emphasizing the film’s “lavish epic” quality—gorgeous frames, haunting music, and cinematography that honors Shelley’s gothic atmosphere while adding del Toro’s fantastical stamp. Trailers tease stormy labs, mutilated corpses from war-torn fields, and the Creature’s haunting narration: “If you will not allow me love, then I will indulge rage.” The story culminates in a northern pursuit, nodding to Shelley’s framing device of Victor’s feverish confession aboard a ship.

Shelley’s novel, penned at 19 amid a stormy summer with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, birthed science fiction and probed Enlightenment hubris, isolation, and ethics of creation—questions del Toro calls “existential, tender, savage.” Past adaptations, from Boris Karloff’s iconic 1931 portrayal to Branagh’s 1994 version, often simplified the Creature into a mute brute, ignoring his eloquence and Shelley’s anti-heroic lens. Del Toro’s film rectifies this, delivering what critics hail as “the most faithful adaptation” with emotional drama over cheap scares.

Early buzz from premieres at the Venice Film Festival (August 30, 2025) and Toronto International Film Festival positions it for awards contention, with Rotten Tomatoes at 81% and praise for Elordi’s “invigorating” turn and del Toro’s visuals. Some note its indulgence, but most celebrate the “stunning, layered” homage to Shelley’s themes amid modern resonance on AI and bioethics. As del Toro reflects, monsters embody “forgiveness for being imperfect,” making this Frankenstein a poignant exploration of humanity’s flaws.

With Netflix’s push for theatrical viability, the film’s production design, costumes, and score eye Oscar nods, continuing del Toro’s streak. In a landscape of reboots, this adaptation stands as a definitive retelling, blending reverence for Shelley’s prose with del Toro’s poetic horror. As the November release nears, it promises to electrify audiences, proving the enduring power of a tale where playing God invites doom.