Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein — starring Oscar Issac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth — held its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival on Saturday. Are Rotten Tomatoes critics getting a jolt out of the new version of the classic monster tale?
Frankenstein, of course, is based on the legendary novel by Mary Shelley and has long been del Toro’s passionate project. Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, while Elordi plays Frankenstein’s Monster and Goth plays Victor’s fiancée, Elizabeth Lavenza.
The film also stars Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson, Burn Gorman, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery and Charles Dance.
Frankenstein is getting a limited theatrical run beginning Oct. 17 before it arrives for streaming on Netflix on Nov. 7. By all indications out of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Frankenstein is impressing most Rotten Tomatoes critics.
As of the publication of this article, del Toro’s Frankenstein has earned a 79% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews.
The RT Critics Consensus is still pending, while the film’s audience summary and Popcornmeter rating on RT won’t be available until the movie opens in theaters.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’?
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter is among the top critics on RT who gives Frankenstein a “fresh” review, writing, “One of [Guillermo] del Toro’s finest, this is epic-scale storytelling of uncommon beauty, feeling and artistry.”
Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine/Vulture also praises del Toro’s passion in his “fresh” review summary on RT, writing, “Whatever its flaws, the director has filled Frankenstein with seemingly everything he loves, and it reflects his obsessions. It feels like the work of a true madman.”
Steve Pond of The Wrap also singles out del Toro’s work in his review summary on RT, writing, “It’s a filmmaker returning to his roots at a time when he has the skills to make those roots grow into something huge and singular.”
Also praising Frankenstein is Ryan Lattanzio, who writes in his “fresh” take on RT, “If you want a period monster movie that’s solid, almost oaken in its sturdiness, you don’t need to knock on wood to assure that del Toro is keeping the innermost essence, the soul of cinema, alive at least.”
Among the top critics on RT giving Frankenstein a “rotten” review is Peter Debruge of Variety, who writes in his summary, “Gorgeous as it may be, the entire film feels as if we’re watching through a peephole. Strangely, [Dan] Laustsen’s wide-angle lenses make Frankenstein feel smaller, when the point was conceivably to squeeze more image into every frame.”
Geoffrey Macnab of the UK’s Independent was also let down by Frankenstein, writing in his RT review summary, “For all [Guillermo] del Toro’s formal mastery, this Frankenstein is ultimately short of the voltage needed really to bring it to life.”
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein opens in limited release in theaters on Oct. 17 before the film makes its streaming premiere on Netflix on Nov. 7.
