Jacob Elordi stuns critics with 'revelatory performance' as the monster in 'Frankenstein'
It's alive!
Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited adaptation of "Frankenstein," starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, has finally debuted with a splashy premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Early reviews for the movie have been a bit more mixed than expected, as it currently holds a solid but not spectacular 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But one thing critics agree on is that Elordi is a standout as Frankenstein's monster.
At The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney said Elordi, 28, delivers "a revelatory performance," adding that his "dark, soulful eyes convey a piercing sadness not felt from this character since Boris Karloff's haunted work" in the original Universal "Frankenstein" films from the 1930s.
Vulture's Bilge Ebiri agreed that the "Euphoria" actor "makes the creature's awakening, his growing curiosity and hurt, feel fresh, vital, new," while IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio wrote that Elordi delivers the most "psychologically complex portrayal of the creature" since Karloff, a performance that "feels something close to otherworldly."
In a rave review for Radio Times, James Mottram also said Elordi "shows his dexterity in a performance of few words but grand and sometimes heartbreaking gestures."
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Isaac has also earned praise for his role as Victor Frankenstein, with Deadline's Pete Hammond saying he is "enormously fun to watch as he slips further into madness."
"Frankenstein" is a longtime passion project for del Toro, the Oscar-winning director of "The Shape of Water" and "Pan's Labyrinth." During a Netflix event earlier this year, the filmmaker noted that he has been trying to make a "Frankenstein" movie for years.
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"In fact, some people may even think I am a little bit obsessed with 'Frankenstein,'" he said. "And they probably would be right. You see, over the decade, the character has fused with my soul in a way that it has become an autobiography. It doesn't get more personal than this."
During a Venice Film Festival press conference for "Frankenstein" on Aug. 30, Elordi said the project was a "pretty monumental task," especially because he joined the movie late in the process and had limited time to prepare. He described the role as a "vessel that I could put every part of myself into."
"From everything that's unconscious from the moment that I was born, to being here with you today, all of it is in that character," he said. "In so many ways, the creature that's on screen in this movie is the purest form of myself. He's more me than I am."
Del Toro also explained why he decided not to include stitches on the creature's body, in contrast to the image many are familiar with from previous "Frankenstein" adaptations.
"A lot of the interpretations of the creature visually are almost like accident victims, and I wanted beauty," he said, adding, "Victor is an artist, and if he's been dreaming of this for 20 years, he would make a perfect, beautiful thing."
Later in the press conference, the "Nightmare Alley" director said that while "Frankenstein" explores what it means to be human, he didn't intend for it to be a metaphor for artificial intelligence.
"Artificial intelligence, I'm not afraid of. I'm afraid of natural stupidity, which is much more abundant," he quipped.
"Frankenstein," which also stars Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz, is set to hit select theaters in October before debuting on Netflix on Nov. 7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Frankenstein' 2025 reviews praise Jacob Elordi at Venice festival
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