7 "Frankenstein" adaptations: from Universal's classic to Guillermo del Toro's vision

"Frankenstein"

Drama, horror, fantasy | 4.28 on MyShows | 2025

Brilliant but obsessive scientist Victor Frankenstein decides on a daring experiment: to reanimate a dead body assembled from the parts of dead people. When his creation comes to life, horror is mixed with delight, but soon, instead of pride, Victor is disgusted and abandons his creation. Rejected by the world, the monster goes in search of his creator to understand why he was brought to life and why he is doomed to loneliness.

Guillermo del Toro's new version emphasizes tragedy and the human dimension in the story. Here, the monster is not the embodiment of horror, but a creature suffering from a thirst for love and recognition. The visual baroque atmosphere, powerful emotional presentation, and attention to the moral side of the story turn the movie into a philosophical parable about the price of divine ambition.

"The only thing I didn't like was the uneven pace of the narration. in the beginning everything was shown and told in such detail, but somewhere in the last third they started with broad strokes and just to finish, as if there wasn't enough time for a full-fledged story. it would be a miniseries format for 8 episodes and it would be quite good", — iken

"The movie is great, I don't know what to say, I kiss the crew's hands", — CommanderShally

"Of all of Del Toro's movies, only "Crimson Peak" and "Pinocchio" were my favorites, the others didn't stick as much. But his vision of "Frankenstein" struck me to the core and moved me to tears. I believe that this movie deserves several Oscars, including for the game Jacob Elordi.
I watched almost all movie adaptations of Frankenstein, and judging by the opinion on the Internet, the closest to the plot of the book is Kenneth Branagh's version. But in my personal opinion, Del Toro surpassed Branagh's vision - Branagh's was canonical Gothic, while here it's pure poetry and art.
Incredibly sensual and deeply sad spectacle - so beautifully shown humanity, creation and gentleness of the Creature, and so ugly and ugly depiction of destruction, insensitivity and amorality of Victor Frankenstein", — rin_rin

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"Frankenstein"

Drama, horror, sci-fi | 3.81 on MyShows | 1931

Young Dr. Henry Frankenstein seeks to unravel the mystery of life and death. Together with an assistant, he assembles a body from the parts of the dead and revives it with a lightning strike. But the monster he creates is unpredictable and frightens everyone who sees it. Trying to hide the consequences of the experiment, Frankenstein faces the horror of his own madness.

Universal Studios' classic adaptation set the canon — from the Gothic towers to the bolts in the monster's neck. The movie became a symbol of the genre, and Boris Karloff's performance turned the monster into a tragic cinematic icon.

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"Bride of Frankenstein"

Horror, sci-fi | 3.56 on MyShows | 1935

After the events of the original movie, Victor Frankenstein miraculously survives and tries to put his mad experiments behind him. However, his old mentor persuades him to create a female creature to give the monster a "bride". The new experiment ends in disaster: the bride rejects the monster and everything collapses.

James Whale's movie was the rare sequel that surpassed the original. It has more philosophy and gore, and the visual style and music took Universal's horror films to a new level.

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"Son of Frankenstein"

Horror, sci-fi | 1939

Victor Frankenstein's son returns to the family castle to restore the family's reputation and prove that his father was not a madman but a great scientist. However, he finds a sleeping monster and, driven by curiosity, brings it back to life. The experiment spirals out of control and the descendant is forced to face the consequences of someone else's sin.

The final installment of Universal's classic trilogy with Boris Karloff. The atmosphere is darker, the characters are more tragic, and the theme of legacy rings sharper than before.

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"The Curse of Frankenstein"

Horror, sci-fi | 1957

Sentenced to death, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells his life story to a priest. After the early loss of his parents, he inherited a large fortune and devoted himself to science. Together with his mentor, he learned to revive dead tissue, and then, as an adult, he decided to create a living creature from the bodies of the dead. But his experiment got out of control when the monster gained consciousness and became deadly dangeros.

This version from Hammer was a turning point in the history of horror: for the first time the story was told in color, and the focus shifted from the monster to the scientist himself. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee set a new standard for gothic horror, making "The Curse of Frankenstein" a hallmark of the British studio.

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"Frankenstein: The True Story"

Drama, horror, sci-fi | 1974

Young scientist Victor Frankenstein leaves Geneva and his family to study medicine in Europe. Obsessed with defeating death, he creates a living creature from the remains of dead people. Initially the creation looks almost perfect, but as its body begins to decompose, Victor realizes the price of his audacity. A painful, tragic bond is forged between creator and creature, where love and disgust are intertwined into one.

The TV version from Universal Pictures was one of the first adaptations of Mary Shelley's novel not in the horror genre. The movie explores the theme of a scientist's moral responsibility and shows how hubris and the pursuit of divine power destroys the human soul. The director's cut (more than three hours) provides a detailed look at Victor's inner conflict and the tragedy of his creation.

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"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"

Drama, horror, fantasy, romance | 3.74 on MyShows | 1994

Young Victor Frankenstein, shocked by the death of his mother, decides to defeat death itself. He assembles a body from the remains of the dead and gives it life, but the creature he has created finds no place in the world. Rejected by everyone, the monster takes revenge on his creator by destroying everything he loves.

Director Kenneth Branagh shot the closest possible adaptation to the novel, giving it an epic scale and turbulent emotionality. Robert De Niro created a deeply human image of the monster, and the gothic atmosphere and musical design made the movie one of the most expressive interpretations of the classic.

"Watched it a second time after so many years, but still fell in love with this movie all over again", — TasiaKolchina

"That rare case when the movie very much exceeded expectations. Impressed! 🔥Dynamic, and most importantly - the presence of lively dialogues! What was extremely deprived gothic novel by Mary Shelley herself.
Yes, the work was taken as a basis, but the screenwriters added their own to the plot, that is, remade at their discretion, which in principle with this particular work is even better than if it followed exactly line to line. I even reinterpreted the story in a new way. Beautiful.
But personally for me was still a bit unexpected selection of Helena Bonham Carter for the role of Elizabeth. I had envisioned this character in a very different way. More meek and sweet. Not so wacky. But nevertheless the acting is wonderful.
Dushka Kenneth Brata (Victor Frankenstein) all the time reminded me of a self-loving handsome professor from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Well in no way could not develop it Zlatopusta Loconsa 😅✨
Well and of course De Niro 🔥🔥🔥🔥What it means to know the real acting. When you can reincarnate not just some character, a person, but a whole monster! Although I would argue a bit with the characterization of the monster. Yes, he killed innocent people. But why?! I like to look for the origins of bad deeds, what can I do. But the creature wasn't even given a name. I feel sorry for the poor guy", — -KaTrInA-

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