When gothic fantasy meets heart, monsters reveal more of us than we expect.
Venice, August 2025. At the 82nd Venice Film Festival, Guillermo del Toro unveiled his long-awaited version of Frankenstein, a project he has nurtured for more than three decades. Oscar Isaac gives life to Victor Frankenstein, while Jacob Elordi embodies the creature with haunting vulnerability. Del Toro described the film not as a horror spectacle but as a meditation on humanity and love, a story built from emotion rather than fear.
Critics and audiences quickly noted that this adaptation transcends the myth’s familiar contours. The creature is portrayed less as an object of terror and more as a being in search of knowledge and belonging, a tragic figure who evokes tenderness instead of revulsion. The meticulous production design, Alexandre Desplat’s lyrical score and the decision to frame much of the narrative from the creature’s perspective merge into a melodrama that feels both grand and intimate.
Jacob Elordi emphasized the emotional weight of his role, calling the creature the purest reflection of himself. He explained that the painstaking hours of makeup were not only physical preparation but a process of immersion into the character’s fragility. Oscar Isaac spoke of the experience as a rare invitation to inhabit a cinematic universe already rich with detail, guided by del Toro’s vision of outsiders portrayed with dignity and vulnerability.
Oscar Isaac y Jacob Elordi protagonizan la nueva adaptación de Frankenstein, que será estrenada por Netflix
The premiere unfolded not only under the glamour of cinema but also against the backdrop of global unrest. Outside the festival, peaceful demonstrations in support of Gaza reminded spectators that art and politics remain inseparable, and that stories of oppression and resistance resonate far beyond the screen.
Looking forward, three trajectories emerge. In continuity, the film consolidates del Toro’s position as a master of gothic storytelling charged with empathy, reaffirming his unique ability to merge fantasy with emotion. In disruption, the success of this version could inspire a new wave of genre films that prioritize lyrical depth over spectacle, encouraging directors to return to narratives that privilege sensitivity. In bifurcation, audiences and critics may split between those who embrace the creature’s emotional reinvention and those who still seek the visceral shock of classic horror.
Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi y Mia Goth, protagonistas de “Frankenstein”, este sábado 30 de agosto en Venecia
What remains clear is that del Toro has chosen to rescue not only the legend of Mary Shelley but also the humanity hidden in its shadows. His Frankenstein refuses solitude, offering connection in places where fear once dominated. It is a work that challenges us to find empathy in the figure of the monster, reminding us that what we call monstrous often mirrors our own fragility.
Phoenix24: clarity in the grey zone.
Phoenix24: claridad en la zona gris.