Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
A brilliant young scientist's attempt to defeat death unleashes a rejected being whose demand for recognition becomes a devastating gothic vendetta.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- gothic
- macabre
- anxious
- halloween viewing
- gothic film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually ambitious and emotionally substantial in its treatment of the Creature, but too frantic and melodramatic to achieve a fully persuasive adaptation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Captain Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein in the ice and hears Victor recount the history of his experiment.
Victor constructs the Creature from parts of deceased people, and the birth sequence foregrounds bodily matter and macabre transformation.
Victor abandons the living Creature, whose social rejection and resentment drive revenge against Victor's loved ones.
Victor attempts to cheat death in the intellectual world of 1790s Europe despite Professor Waldman's warning that the result will be an abomination.
Films like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and why
Bram Stoker's Dracula
shared gothic horror, tragic romance, philosophical questions about creation, and period atmosphere
The Fly
shared science fiction horror, body horror, tragic creator creation conflict, and moral anxiety
The Curse of Frankenstein
shared gothic atmosphere, obsessive experimentation, melodrama, and monstrous outsider themes
Sleepy Hollow
shared literary gothic horror, reanimation imagery, tragic romance, and visually heightened period style
Movie Details
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Release Date
- 1994-11-04
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1417)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Kenneth Branagh
- Tom Hulce
- Helena Bonham Carter
- Aidan Quinn
- Ian Holm
- Richard Briers
- John Cleese
- Robert Hardy
- Cherie Lunghi
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein about?
- A brilliant young scientist's attempt to defeat death unleashes a rejected being whose demand for recognition becomes a devastating gothic vendetta.
- What is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as brutal.
- What did critics think of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
- Critics broadly found the film visually ambitious and emotionally substantial in its treatment of the Creature, but too frantic and melodramatic to achieve a fully persuasive adaptation.
- Which films are like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
- Films with a similar feel include Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Fly, The Curse of Frankenstein, and Sleepy Hollow.
- How long is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
- In United States, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
