Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Frankenstein reviews says that director Guillermo del Toro’s latest work is monstrously brilliant.

Of all the countless renditions of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic tale of the manmade monster, this may be the most lavish, poignant and profoundly beautiful work yet, said she who normally eschews reboots, remakes, re-imaginings and retellings.

Director Guillermo del Toro has made multiple imaginative and award winning sci-fi/horror/fantasy films, including The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pinocchio, and Nightmare Alley, but it’s been reported that Frankenstein has resided in the 61-year-old director’s heart and head for most of his life—the one film he’s been refining for over 30 years. And it shows.

The casting is both surprising and brilliant. Del Toro picked a young, excruciatingly handsome Australian heartthrob Jacob Elordi to play the Creature. Previously seen in movies including Saltburn and The Kissing Machine franchise, as well as in the critically acclaimed television series Euphoria, one would not expect the  gravitas, humanity and poignancythat breaks through layers upon layers of latex that took hours upon hours to apply.

An exceptional Oscar Isaac plays the manic Dr. Frankenstein, and scream queen Mia Goth has been cast as the doctor’s sister-in-law and the Creature’s main sympathizer. They all have exceptional chemistry.

Frankenstein review — A unique telling

The script, adroitly written by del Toro himself, focuses on themes of father/son relations, forgiveness, kindness and purpose. They bring a whole new dimension to the classic story, which starts out with an exploratory Norwegian vessel frozen solid in an icepack on its way to the North Pole. The crew is attempting to free their ship, when they come across a frost bitten Dr Frankenstein alone on the ice, with an enraged monster in hot pursuit.

Their heart rending story is told through the eyes of the doctor and of his creation.

Pay close attention to every aspect of this film, from the costuming to the set design to the beautiful and arresting score by Alexander Desplat. They add extraordinary dimension with their beauty and symbolism.

I would advise you to see Frankenstein in the theater, on the biggest screen with the best sound system you can possibly find, before it debuts on Netflix on November 7. It merits the extra expense. It currently rates among my top five movies of the year so far, and while I haven’t seen everything yet, I’m certain this version of Frankenstein will stay at the summit. It’s one of the few films I can watch over and over again.

Rated R

2 Hours, 29 Minutes

If this Frankenstein review sends you out to the cineplex, find times, theaters and seats on Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Frankenstein reviews says that director Guillermo del Toro’s latest work is monstrously brilliant.