Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has launched on Netflix, starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature. The film reimagines key elements like Elizabeth's role while drawing costume inspirations from David Bowie and Prince. Experts note its focus on themes of shame and forgiveness over traditional hubris.
Release Overview
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, a long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, began streaming on Netflix on November 8, 2025. The director, who has called the book his 'Bible,' aimed to capture its essence through themes of the human spirit, forgiveness, and understanding rather than solely science gone wrong. Del Toro told Variety, 'It's about forgiveness, understanding and the importance of listening to each other.'
Set during the Crimean War in the 1850s, the film features a broader, more modern sensibility as per del Toro's vision, avoiding stereotypical historical elements like black top hats. The cast includes Oscar Isaac as the brilliant but egotistical scientist Victor, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, Mia Goth as Elizabeth, Christoph Waltz as Harlander, Charles Dance as Victor's father, and others like Ralph Ineson, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, and Christian Convery.
Costume Design Insights
Costume designer Kate Hawley, reuniting with del Toro from Crimson Peak, drew from David Bowie and Prince for Victor's looks, blending bohemian irreverence with aristocratic roots. Victor's initial attire nods to the Enlightenment era, evolving to flamboyant styles as his fortunes change, using worn velvets to show his decline. For Elizabeth, Hawley crafted gowns tied to botany and anatomy, with her wedding dress echoing the Creature's skeletal form through Swiss-style bodice and ribbons. A partnership with Tiffany & Co. provided archival jewelry, including the 40-carat Wade Necklace. The Creature's evolution starts with a soldier's coat from a Crimean War burial ground, symbolizing memory and metamorphosis.
Comparison to Shelley's Novel
English professor Julie Carlson praises the film's fidelity to the book's framed narrative and lyrical language, though it reinvents Elizabeth as an independent entomologist and shifts focus from hubris to shame and familial failure. Victor's backstory is expanded, and characters like Henry Clerval and Justine Moritz are omitted. Carlson notes stronger emphasis on friendship and less on social oppression, while humanizing the Creature through face-to-face interactions. The gothic tone aligns with the multi-layered text, honoring Shelley without strict accuracy.