Over 200 years in the past, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Fashionable Prometheus, was printed. Since then, there have been numerous reimaginings, together with James Whale’s 1931 movie adaptation starring Boris Karloff and Colin Clive. It’s extensively thought-about the definitive on-screen adaptation of the novel, together with the 1935 sequel, Bride of Frankenstein.
As we’ve seen in recent times, notably the 2025 launch of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s upcoming horror-musical, The Bride!, hitting theaters subsequent 12 months, Shelley’s story nonetheless resonates with artists and audiences.
To cap off the spooky season, listed below are some nice Frankenstein diversifications price testing throughout Halloween. We love these uniquely monstrous retellings.
The Rocky Horror Image Present (1975)
The last word midnight film, The Rocky Horror Image Present, is a cult traditional that has stood the check of time, because of the brilliance of Richard O’Brien, the gifted solid, killer music, fabulous costumes, and diehard followers.
When a younger couple, Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), break down within the rain and warily go to a spooky citadel for assist. What they really get is a weird but thrilling expertise with the lingerie-clad mad scientist and his eerie underlings, Columbia (Nell Campbell), Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and Riff Raff (O’Brien). They’ve arrived on the evening of a celebration, the revealing of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s (Tim Curry) creation, Rocky (Peter Hinwood). As a substitute of the traditional nuts-and-bolts and a lumbering gait, his Creature is a match, “man with blonde hair and a tan.” What follows is a celebration of intercourse, science fiction, and horror.
This 12 months marks Rocky Horror’s fiftieth anniversary, the proper time to do the Time Warp once more, or for the very first time.
The place to look at: Hulu (or discover a midnight exhibiting close to you!)
The Monster Squad (1987)
Usually thought-about a Halloween staple, The Monster Squad brings iconic film monsters to suburbia. On this horror comedy, Frankenstein’s Monster, performed by Tom Noonan, has a tenderness that results in him befriending a little bit woman named Phoebe (Ashley Financial institution). With the pleasant looming determine by her aspect, she lastly will get to hitch her older brother, Sean (Andre Gower), and his associates, Patrick (Robby Kiger), Horace (Brent Chalem), and Rudy (Ryan Lambert), as a member of the Monster Squad. It’s as much as the younger gang of horror aficionados to avoid wasting their city and cease Depend Dracula’s (Duncan Regehr) diabolical plan.
Looking for a robust historic amulet that may enable him to rule (or destroy) the world, Dracula assembles a workforce of monsters, together with the Wolfman (Jon Gries/Carl Thibault), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), the Gill-man (Tom Woodruff Jr.), and a trio of vampire brides. Frankenstein’s Monster isn’t on board with the trigger and decides to assist his new associates as an alternative. Noonan’s portrayal because the benevolent creature is a favourite amongst many.
The place to look at: Prime Video
Might (2002)
Fortunate McKee’s Might is likely one of the greatest horror films of the 2000s, a time when style remakes have been popping up left and proper. As a substitute of a narcissist with a god advanced, Might (Angela Bettis) is a lonely, awkward woman whose solely buddy is a doll she’s had since childhood. She longs for human connection, however between her overly flirty coworker, Polly (Anna Faris), and Adam (Jeremy Sisto), the cool man she’s crushing on, Might isn’t discovering the type of friendship she craves. So, the following neatest thing is to create her personal. On Halloween evening, she goes out searching for elements to sew collectively.
Might is an underrated gem that isn’t talked about almost sufficient. Indie scream queen Angela Bettis delivers a charming efficiency. Even throughout essentially the most uncomfortable scenes, of which there are numerous, it’s arduous to look away.
The place to look at: Tubi
Penny Dreadful (2014–16)
All through its three seasons, Showtime’s Gothic horror drama Penny Dreadful by no means acquired the eye it deserved. The sequence follows former explorer Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton), enigmatic clairvoyant Vanessa Ives (Eva Inexperienced), and American gunslinger Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett ) as they seek for his kidnapped daughter. It additionally contains a lineup of well-known literary figures, together with Dorian Grey (Reeve Carney), Henry Jekyll (Shazad Latif), Abraham van Helsing (David Warner), and, in fact, Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway).
As one of many lead protagonists, the younger physician helps Murray’s crew by analyzing a corpse that will result in his daughter’s captor. However most of his interactions are together with his deserted Creature (Rory Kinnear), who goes by numerous names, together with John Clare and Caliban. Loosely following the storyline of Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s painfully lonely creation calls for that his maker give him an immortal companion, and can hold destroying his life till he does so. Kinnear’s tackle the enduring character intently resembles Shelley’s authentic description.
The place to look at: Prime Video
Creature Commandos (2024–)
James Gunn’s (Peacemaker) animated motion comedy Creature Commandos kicked off the brand new DCU, fittingly as part of his Gods and Monsters chapter. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) places collectively a brand new workforce of violent antiheroes out of Belle Reve penitentiary’s non-human internment division, this time skipping the human criminals for a workforce of monstrous misfits. Whereas Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) helms the brand new squad, The Bride (Indira Varma) is the plain chief. She’s inhumanly robust and is aware of find out how to battle, however is aloof relating to her new crew, or anybody, for that matter.
Within the first episode of the sequence, Job Power M(onster) heads to the fictional European nation of Pokolistan. The Bride returns to her birthplace, Frankenstein Manor, the place we get glimpses of her backstory with Victor Frankenstein (Peter Serafinowicz). Her creation follows the same old story beats, along with her terrified response to seeing her betrothed, Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), Victor’s first creation. In contrast to most interpretations of the Creature, Eric is eloquent in his speech. Nonetheless, he’s so insecure and obsessive about the girl he feels entitled to that he solely comes off as aggressive. It’s a enjoyable, reasonably hilarious tackle the acquainted story.
The place to look at: HBO Max
The Indignant Black Woman and Her Monster (2023)
Written and directed by Bomani J. Story (Rock Regular Row), The Indignant Black Woman and Her Monster facilities on genius teenager Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes). The budding mad scientist is grieving the loss of life of her brother, Chris (Edem Atsu-Swanzy), who died from a gunshot wound after a gang-related altercation. Believing that “loss of life is a illness,” she units out to find a treatment and finally ends up reanimating her brother’s corpse. However as we’ve seen in different Frankenstein-inspired tales, one’s creations can, and sure will, be harmful.
Other than the 1973 Blaxploitation movie Blackenstein, The Indignant Black Woman and Her Monster is the primary time I’ve seen Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by a Black lens. Just like the character of Victor within the well-known novel, Vicaria misplaced her mom at a younger age, inspiring her to search out one other solution to create life.
The place to look at: Hulu