In my opinion of all the Universal Monsters movies, only one film outshines Frankenstein, and that's its sequel, The Bride (which I will talk about in another post). Frankenstein itself is a cinematic masterpiece that is the high point of the series of films and of its genre. Director Whale is in a league of his own, making films which transcend their genre and stand the test of time.
Frankenstein is shot beautifully creating one of the most cinematic films in the series (with only Dracula rivalling it for visual splendour). His audacious opening sequence, daring the audience to leave or buckle in for an unprecedented experience, is delightful. This is a story that is chilling, because of what has now become a cliche, but at the time (and at the time of the film's classic source material) was rather revolutionary, that it is us who are the monsters. Dracula is about true evil terrorizing people, while The Wolfman is about a sympathetic, misunderstood "monster". But Frankenstein is about how monstrous we are.
It's hard not to watch the film today without seeing things through the Creature's eyes and reading the ending as tragic and forbidding. There are queer readings of the film and its messaging that I'll discuss more in my discussion of its sequel, but suffice it to say the conclusion pointing to a wedding and future grandchild is not portrayed as a "happy ending." The film is evocative and emotional. Little Maria's death has a clumsy comical feel at the time but when we get to the scene where her father is carrying her body through the town streets, the film reaches an emotional crescendo. Whale is interested in making his audience think about what they are witnessing, not just react. It remains an extremely watchable film.
Frankenstein is followed by 3 direct sequels and then the creature appeared in numerous crossovers such as House of Frankenstein and he even met Abbott and Costello. As I said I'll discuss The Bride of Frankenstein on its own as it deserves such attention.
The second sequel, The Son of Frankenstein, is a strong film as well despite having to exist in the shadow of its masterpiece predecessors. While it doesn't live up to their legacy it remains a good film and stars Sherlock Holmes himself, Basil Rathbone, in the title role. About community paranoia and legacy, the film is most notable for introducing Igor although this character barely resembles the caricature that name has come to embody (which is more along the lines of Fritz in the original film). It also is the last time Boris Karloff played the monster on screen before Universal recast its famous character.
Following Son was the final stand alone sequel, The Ghost of Frankenstein, another entertaining film despite starting to feel the diminishing returns of sequelitis. This is Igor's story continued on from the previous film, exploring his search for eternal life. the film can be read numerous ways by today's audience including seeing his schemings as push back against a world that unfairly rejected him, the deviousness of a heartless man, or somewhere in between/both.
There have been a plethora of reimaginings of the film and other interpretations of Mary Shelley's novel including the legendary Hammer film Curse of Frankenstein starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, with its own mixed reception and legacy. It launched that studio's high era and leaned into the violence of the story in a way that was shocking for its time.
One of the most famous is the criminally underrated Mary Shelley's Frankenstein by Kenneth Branagh, a film I adore for its bold, operatic style and visual lushness. It remains the most loyal to the plot of the novel (despite some small divergences) and is truly emotionally satisfying in my opinion. I love how Branagh gets Shelley’s critique of the male ego and the attempt to dominate nature/God. To highlight the gendered aspects of the story, he centres Elizabeth in ways she isn’t centred in other takes and I’m not talking about just the end. She is presented as a possible real partner to Victor and it’s when he pushes her away that he is on the wrong path. She refuses to be a prize for men to compete over. The moral of the story is tied to male ideas of ambition and self-destruction.
There was also a surprisingly boring 2015 adaptation named Victor Frankenstein which throws all but the most basic resemblance out for a rather new take which generally disappoints despite featuring a cast including James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe, and even Andrew Scott. Guillermo Del Toro's 2025 adaptation has caused a sensation while being divisive as well. If there is one thing the adaptations appear to have in common is they divide audiences.
But the character and/or the monster have transcended mere adaptations. In everything from The Munsters to Young Frankenstein, to the Monster Squad, to Frankenweine, the concept and character have become one of the most iconic in pop culture. No doubt there will be many more appearances of the character and adaptations of the story in the future and it is due both the power of the original novel and Whale's beautiful classic film.
Frankenstein
Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye
Director: James Whale
Writers: Garrett Fort, Francis Edward Faragoh
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