Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein takes the bones of Mary Shelley’s celebrated 19th-century classic and reshapes it into something that is both personal and morally piercing. By not staying true to the written text literally, del Toro takes a deeper dive into the morally complex and emotionally charged story.
Where Shelley’s novel was an exploration of ambition, fear, and creation gone awry, del Toro’s version tackles the destructive cycle of abuse and emotional neglect, asking not what makes a monster, but what makes a father. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein’s rejection of his creation stems from a natural, almost primal terror at what he has brought to life, disgusted by his own actions and the Creature.
But in the Netflix film, Oscar Isaac’s Victor is forged by years of emotional coldness and cruelty under an abusive father. His treatment of the Creature isn’t the result of fear; it is a reflection of learned hate. This change in narrative highlights that the true monster isn’t the naïve, childlike Creature but the human who cannot unlearn his father’s sins.
While in the book, we slowly discover the Creature’s humanity, in the film, it is widely visible. That choice shifts the audience’s empathy entirely, making the real tension not about whether we can forgive the Creature, but whether Frankenstein can be redeemed for his cruelty.
It is here that del Toro triumphs over the author by highlighting that it is Frankenstein who is the center of the tale, and whether the creator deserves forgiveness more than the creation.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Softens Jacob Elordi’s Creature
Jacob Elordi in the film | Credits: Netflix
While Netflix’s Frankenstein keeps the creator as the center of attention, it lays equal emphasis on Jacob Elordi’s Creature. Portrayed not simply as a monstrous parody of humanity but as something far more delicate and tragically human, Del Toro explained he appears like a newborn, alabaster creature with hues pale but almost translucent and staggeringly beautiful, in an otherworldly way (via Entertainment Weekly).
From the moment he awakens, the Creature is shown with childlike wonder, learning language, doing the most basic of human things, while absorbing the emotional world around him rather than snarling at it. In Toro’s hand, he is like an oversized child trying to understand love and belonging.
While he still suffers and still causes harm, the focus remains on his longing and innocence. Not only does this make the viewers empathize with him more, but it reframes the horror of the story: that the real monsters are not born, but made. In this sense, the creature isn’t the result of a failed experiment, but a child of trauma.
Guillermo del Toro Reflects on Frankenstein’s Ending
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein carries the soul of Mary Shelly’s book but molds it into a story more emotionally charged and healing. The ending of the film differs vastly from the book, with both Victor and the Creature finding relief after years of suffering.
During an interview with Man of Many in October 2025, the filmmaker reflected on its ending:
The movie has sort of a circular structure. It starts with the sun rising on the captain on the ship, and ends up with the sun rising on the Creature. And I thought, ‘Well, if the idea is that he’s going to live forever, can he still welcome the sun? Can he still welcome being alive?’
He added,
Imperfection is the condition of life. You will lead an imperfect life. And I think the movie makes peace with that and forgiveness and what it is to be human, which is to be capable of seeing the other
Calling it one of his most hopeful endings, in a strange way, the filmmaker thus explained his reasoning to end the film the way he did.
What is your opinion about the ending of the film? Let us know in the comments below!
Frankenstein is now available for streaming on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
