Everyone’s favorite monster gets a hug (and a few stitches) from the Bull
Finally, the day has arrived. After so much hype and a screening at Cannes that surely left more than one critic with their mouths open (either from amazement or from sleep), Guillermo del Toro‘s creature, his much vaunted “Frankenstein“, can be admired in all its prosthetic glory in some Mexican cinemas. Because, of course, it wasn’t going to be for everyone, only for the select few, those who know how to appreciate art over popcorn.
And here is the first gem of sarcasm: it is a “Del Toro” version. Translation: Forget the clumsy, screw-in-the-neck monster your grandma remembers. Here we have a creature that, according to gossip, retains the disconcerting beauty of Jacob Elordi. Because what is more terrifying in the 21st century than a monster that is as good as bread? A deep reflection, without a doubt.
A creator who is a very peculiar victim
The genius behind the creation, Oscar Isaac‘s Victor Frankenstein, is not a typical mad scientist. Oh no. He is a tyrant. And as maestro Del Toro illuminates for us with the subtlety of a hammer, “all people who are tyrants love to be victims.” A pearl of wisdom that we could frame and hang in any office or family gathering. They complain about their bad luck while they destroy everyone who crosses their path. A portrait as moving as it is recognizable, right? But don’t worry, there is a message of hope: “we all need love, just that.” Because nothing solves crimes against nature and ethics like a good hug.
This is not a simple horror movie; It is an existentialist ode in disguise. Del Toro, in his infinite wisdom, conceived this project after the loss of his parents, wondering what it means to be human when you become “nobody’s son.” A light question for a Thursday afternoon, perfect to accompany with a soft drink. First he gave us a wooden doll that will suffer for eternity the death of his loved ones in “Pinocchio“, and now he gives us a puzzle of sewn corpses that seeks its place in the world. Did anyone say that Mexican cinema is happy and carefree?
The spectacle behind the creature: 42 prostheses for redemption?
Let’s talk about what’s important: appearance. The monster, the work of the same makeup wizard who gave us the amphibian lover in “The Shape of Water”, is a work of art with 42 prosthetic pieces. Forty-two. More parts than an IKEA piece of furniture and hopefully easier to assemble. It has seams, because elegance is in the details, and hair that varies between short and long, because even monsters have good and bad days. And if that were not enough, he calls himself “son of the ossuary“. A poetic title that will undoubtedly impress on dating apps.
The sets, designed by Oscar nominee Tamara Deverell, are so majestic that they almost steal the show. Booming mansions, charming ruins and a laboratory that would make any self-respecting mad scientist sigh with envy. And then there is the boat. A real ship! Del Toro, in a fit of anti-gital purism, decided he didn’t want visual effects for something as mundane as a ship. So they used a real one, with a mechanical stabilizer, because why create six meters of boat and fake the rest like the common people do, when you can complicate your life in an epic way?
The costumes, by Kate Hawley, deliberately avoid the old-fashioned. For Victor’s outfit, they were inspired by the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Which definitely explains the plaid pants and red gloves. Because nothing screams “scientist obsessed with playing God” like the elegance of a ballet dancer. It is a declaration of intent: if you are going to alter the natural order of life, do it with style.
So now you know, dear readers. If your budget or your disinterest in leaving the house prevents you, you can wait until November 7 to see this gem on Netflix. But they’ll be missing out on the full experience of watching an unusually handsome monster wonder about life on a big screen. And that, my friends, is an almost Shakespearean tragedy.
Are you intrigued by this unique take on myth? Share this note with other film lovers and explore more about the season’s boldest adaptations on our social networks.
