Guillermo del Toro has finally dropped the teaser for his long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein, and to no one’s surprise, it’s dark, beautiful, and it’s got us spiraling into an emotional rollercoaster in under three minutes. With a cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz, and vibes straight out of a gothic fever dream, this isn’t your high school English class’s Frankenstein.
If you’ve not yet seen the teaser, check it out below.
Frankenstein is Not Your Monster’s Monster
Let’s get one thing straight: this creature is no lumbering green dude with bolts in his neck. Del Toro’s version is so human that we started questioning who the real villain in the movie is. Spoiler: It’s already a dead giveaway when we hear the voice over asking, “What manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?” Then we see Oscar Isaac’s Dr. Victor Frankenstein looking all regretful after answering, “I did.”
Oscar Isaac is Wonderful (As Always)
Look, we already knew Isaac could play any role and steal the spotlight with a single eyebrow raise, but casting him as the tortured Victor Frankenstein is making us waver in our belief that he is the true villain of the story. Every close-up of him brooding over life-or-death moral dilemmas feels like it deserves an Oscar on its own (an Oscar for Oscar, get it?) You can practically hear his internal monologue spiraling into chaos: “What have I done playing God?”
Mia Goth in a Guillermo del Toro Film Just Makes Too Much Sense
Mia Goth plays Victor’s fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza. She appeared in the trailer for only a few seconds, but she definitely belongs in this universe of moody lighting, lace corsets, and floppy hats. We can’t wait to see how she will become the positive force in assuaging Victor’s guilt for creating the monster. Also, on how devastated Victor will be after the monster kills her.
We came for the spooky vibes and Jacob Elordi’s buff body as Frankenstein’s monster. We stayed for the slow unraveling of humanity’s darkest instincts and the reminder that the real monsters are probably us. Plus, we are left with a deeper appreciation for this literary classic and a new understanding of why it’s included in every high school English curriculum.
