Maggie Gyllenhaal's second feature film, 'The Bride!,' offers a feminist reinterpretation of the Frankenstein story, starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. Set in 1936 Chicago, the movie follows the monster and his revived bride as they navigate love and rebellion. Critics note its punk energy but critique its pacing.
Maggie Gyllenhaal directs and writes 'The Bride!,' her follow-up to 'The Lost Daughter,' presenting a scrappy punk feminist take on Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.' The film, released by Warner Bros. through First Love Films and In The Current Company, runs 126 minutes and carries an R rating from the MPA.
The story unfolds in neon-lit 1930s Chicago, where Christian Bale plays Frank, the wandering Frankenstein's monster described with a crown of grimy staples, a scarred nose, and a body pieced from decaying hides. He seeks companionship from Dr. Euphonious, portrayed by Annette Bening, a wisecracking mad scientist. They revive Ida (Jessie Buckley), a former party girl who dies after being thrown down stairs and is brought back with electromagnetic means. Ida emerges as a spaced-out rebel in a silk orange flapper dress, with black chemical blood staining her mouth, embodying innocence and anger.
Jessie Buckley also appears as Mary Shelley in a black-and-white framing device, introducing the tale with the line, “Here comes the motherfucking bride!” Frank and Ida form a bond, engaging in intimate moments and becoming outlaws after Frank defends them against predators. The narrative draws from influences like 'Joker: Folie à Deux,' 'Thelma & Louise,' 'Sid and Nancy,' and 'Natural Born Killers,' evolving into an outlaws-in-love saga with feminist themes. Ida chants 'I would prefer not to' from Melville's 'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' inspiring a wave of women to revolt, marked by black-ink mouth tattoos.
The cast includes Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal as matinee idol Robbie Reed, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, Matthew Maher, and Linda Emond. Cinematography is by Lawrence Sher, editing by Dylan Tichenor, and music by Hildur Guðnadóttir. Reviewed at AMC 34th St. in New York on March 2, 2026, the film earns praise for its actors' magnetic performances but criticism for its lumbering pace and lack of storytelling spine, feeling semi-improvised and didactic in its revolution portrayal. A nightclub scene with 'Puttin’ on the Ritz' provides an intoxicating highlight.
