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Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ Review: Highs & Lows of this New Take on Shelley’s Classic Tale

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John and Vin are back to talk about the new film from director Guillermo del Toro, based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The two compare their memories of reading the book as well as other film adaptations of the classic novel, before diving into the new film more. They discuss Jacob Elordi’s fantastic performance as The Monster, what worked in the film and what didn’t work, who the real monster in the film actually is, as well as the concern about how Netflix is handling some productions for better or worse. 

Watch or listen in to their conversation below, on YouTube (@TheCosmicCircus), or find us most places podcasts are available as Cosmic Circus Podcasts. Please like and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel to help us build our following on the platforms!

The 2025 Frankenstein film stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth and is now streaming on Netflix!

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Frankenstein (2025) discussion timestamps

  • 00:00 – Intro
  • 01:15 – Intro to Frankenstein, talking about Mary Shelley’s masterpiece and what the story is about, as well as other film versions of this classic tale.
  • 06:00 – Frankenstein (2025) film discussion with mild spoilers
  • 08:40 – Jacob Elordi’s performance as The Monster
  • 09:30 – Comparing the book to the 2025 film
  • 11:35 – Positives and negatives about the film, and “the Netflix effect”
  • 16:20 – The Monster’s design, costumes and production design
  • 20:30 – The ending and other overall thoughts
  • 25:00 – Outro

Also check out John’s full written review here: Frankenstein (2025): Guillermo del Toro’s Abusive Parent Allegory

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Lizzie Hill

I'm a lifelong fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book movies. In July 2021, I launched The Cosmic Circus as the owner/editor-in-chief with a small but passionate group of writers. @MsLizzieHill on X and Instagram, or lizziehill.bsky.social on Bluesky.

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