In Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein (2025), the Creature forces Victor Frankenstein to confront his own monstrous nature. When Creature tells his side of the story, it makes Victor realize that he fails as the creator of Creature and as a father. Unlike Mary Shelley’s original novel, which ends in tragedy for both creator and creation, del Toro’s movie introduces a sense of hope.
The ending allowed Victor to experience a moment of catharsis before his death. The realization comes too late, but it underscores the movie’s deeper exploration of forgiveness and redemption.
The movie premiered globally on Netflix on November 7, 2025. The cast includes Oscar Issac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, and Lars Mikkelsen. It follows Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) as he embarks on a dangerous experiment to reanimate life and the creation of the monstrous being (Jacob Elordi). Del Toro stays mostly faithful to the core elements of the source material but infuses his unique visual style and thematic elements.
After the deaths of Victor’s brother William (Felix Kammerer) and his fiancée Elizabeth (Mia Goth), Victor embarks on a ruthless hunt for the Creature. It ultimately led him to the Arctic. The stranded troupe of sailors, led by Captain Anderson, offered him shelter. There, the final confrontation between creator and creation forces Victor to ask for forgiveness before succumbing to death.
How Did William and Elizabeth Die in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein?
In del Toro’s Frankenstein, the deaths of Elizabeth and William serve as turning points in Victor’s pursuit of revenge. Unlike Victor, who rejected and abused the Creature, Elizabeth showed him empathy. When Victor discovered the Creature’s bond with Elizabeth, his jealousy and rage took over him.
After escaping from the fire in the tower and recognising the “forest of the spirit,” Creature sought out his maker. He hunts down Victor at the Frankenstein Estate. After the Creature is expelled from Elizabeth’s chamber once again, Victor finds the Creature in his room. He requests Victor to create another monster. When Victor refuses, the Creature becomes enraged, throwing Victor across the room.
Chaos escalates when Elizabeth enters, trying to calm the Creature. Williams enters the room but is hurled by the Creature. Victor attempts to shoot and kill his creation, but instead accidentally wounds Elizabeth. Mortally wounded, Elizabeth is carried by the Creature to a remote cavern. In their final moments together, Elizabeth, who has always viewed him with compassion, dies in the Creature’s arms.
Back at the mansion, William confronts Victor in his dying moments. In his last breath, he accuses Victor, saying, “You are the monster.” William calls out for his selfishness and refusal to accept responsibility for the destruction he’s caused. However, it drove Victor to hunt Creature, even if he had to travel to the end of the world.
What Happens to Victor and the Creature at the End of Frankenstein?
Oscar Issac as Victor in Frankenstein (2025) | Credit: Netflix
Victor’s hunt for the Creature leads him to the very first scene of the movie, in Captain Anderson’s ship, which has been stranded in the Arctic. As he lies in the ship’s hold, gravely wounded, Victor recounts his story to the captain. However, the Creature soon boards the ship, interrupting his story.
Rather than seeking revenge, the Creature tells his own story. He tells Victor about the abuse and neglect he suffered. It is in this moment that Victor experiences a profound catharsis. For the first time, he acknowledges his failures as both creator and father. He apologizes for his cruelty and begs the Creature for forgiveness.
Victor’s final request for the Creature is to live despite the pain they’ve both endured. As Victor dies, the Creature, finally at peace for the first time, exits the ship. He helps push the trapped vessel free from the ice and watches the sunrise alone.
The ending shifts from Shelley’s original narrative, where the Creature, after Victor’s death, resolves to end his own life. In the movie’s final moments, Victor comes to terms with the fact that the true monster is not the Creature but himself. His relentless ego and refusal to acknowledge the harm he caused turn him into a tyrant. The one who believes himself to be the victim turns out to be the destroyer.
The director ended the movie with the quote from English poet Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, which reads, “The heart will break and yet brokenly live on.” While Shelley’s version leans on a more tragic note, del Toro’s version ended with a sense of hope with the theme of redemption, as he said, “Frankenstein is about somebody accepting life in the absence of death… being blissful any moments you’re alive.” (via Tudum).
del Toro’s vision elevates the movie beyond a typical monster story. He flips the narrative, making it clear that true monstrosity is not found in physical form but in the heart and mind of the creator.
What do you think of del Toro’s more hopeful ending? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is available to stream on Netflix (US).
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