Frankinstein

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the 2025 adaptation of Frankenstein is a gothic drama and passion project decades in the making. Released globally on Netflix on November 7, 2025, the film reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic novel with a focus on emotional depth and the "Miltonian tragedy" of its characters rather than traditional horror. Main Cast and Characters The film features a star-studded cast portraying reimagined versions of the classic literary figures: Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac): A brilliant but arrogant surgeon and "artist" obsessed with conquering death. His pursuit of reanimation is fueled by the childhood trauma of losing his mother. The Creature (Jacob Elordi): Portrayed as a "statuesque" and soulful being rather than a traditional monster. His design, based on Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations, is described as "newborn and alabaster". Elizabeth (Mia Goth): Reimagined as the niece of the arms dealer Henrich Harlander and the fiancée of Victor’s brother, William. She bonds with the Creature, teaching him to speak and showing him compassion. William Frankenstein (Felix Kammerer): Victor’s younger brother who, in a departure from the novel, grows to adulthood and assists Victor in his research before becoming a tragic victim of the fallout. Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz): A wealthy arms manufacturer who funds Victor’s experiments. He is a new character for this adaptation, serving as a dark mentor figure who intends to transplant his own brain into the Creature. Baron Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance): Victor’s strict and oppressive father, whose coldness profoundly shapes Victor's own hubris. The Blind Man (David Bradley): An old man who befriends the Creature and teaches him to read and speak during his period of isolation.