Movie Review - Frankenstein

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy
Runtime: 149 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, David Bradley. Lars Mikkelsen, Felix Kammerer, Ralph Ineson
 
Description: Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creature.
 
Review: I think “Frankenstein” is one of the books with the most movie adaptations in its name. And if I could have chosen a director for the 2025 version, I would have definitely picked Guillermo del Toro. He is suited for this story, he knows how to visualize classics like “Frankenstein”. And I wasn’t wrong, because it’s so good.

We all know the story. Victor Frankenstein is an ambitious, somewhat egotistical scientist, who brings a creature to life. This eventually leads to the undoing of both him and his creation.

Guillermo del Toro manages to bring Mary Shelley’s gothic style to life. The visuals are stunning. The aesthetics, the sets, costumes and atmosphere are all spot on.  The film is layered, which is closer to Mary Shelley’s book and explores important themes such as creation, humanity and identity. The focus on the romantic connection between the monster and Elizabeth, and Victor’s resulting jealousy is an interesting addition to the original story.

The performances are really strong. The absolute star is Oscar Isaac, who portrays a layered Dr. Frankenstein and conveys his madness fantastically. Jacob Elordi is a surprising choice for the monster. He breaks through his “hunk” image he built up with previous roles. He plays the role credibly and vulnerably. Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz proves strong supporting roles and add extra color to the ensemble.

Many people criticize the slow pace, but they clearly never read the book. I think the pacing is perfect, taking time to tell the story and get to know the characters. It’s a long film, but I never felt that.
I absolutely loved this adaptation of “Frankenstein”.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - High Life

Director: Claire Denis
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, Andre 3000, Agata Buzek, Lars Eidinger, Claire Tran, Ewan Mitchell, Gloria Obianyo
 
Description: A father (Robert Pattinson) and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 28: A FILM FROM THE 2010S
 
Review: Claire Denis’ science fiction film “High Life” is as exciting as a space journey to the nearest black hole. In other words, it sounds more exciting than it actually is and it takes a long time.

Monte and his baby daughter Willows traverse the universe alone. It’s just the two of them. But it hasn’t always been that way. He had fellow passengers and in flashbacks we learn what happened to them and how Willow ended up on the space craft.

Monte was part of a group of criminals who were given the choice between a death sentence and a space experiment. Their mission was to try harness the rotational energy of the nearest black hole for human use. And al sorts of weird experiments are happening on the space ship.

I don’t even know where to begin. The film feels very experimental and not in a good way. It’s weird, in a gross kind of way. And I was so bored. From the synopsis, you expect something completely different. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, either they don’t get fleshed out enough or they are highly unlikeable. I feel like director Claire Denis watched a lot of David Cronenberg films and wanted to do a genre experiment herself. But it didn’t quite work out the same.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Review - Emma.

Director: Autumn de Wilde
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Mia Goth, Bill Nighy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Amber Anderson, Tanya Reynolds, Miranda Hart, Gemma Whelan, Rupert Graves, Myra McFadyen, Esther Coles, Suzy Bloom, Suzanne Toase, Nicholas Burns, Lucy Briers, Anna Francolini, Connor Swindells, Isis Hainsworth

Description: In 1800s England, the well-meaning but selfish young Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) meddles in the love lives of her friends.

Review: The popular rich daughter Emma Woodhouse tries in her wat to boost the love life of the people around her. Jane Austen’s stories have appeared on the big screen so often in so many different forms that filmmakers have to look for new interpretations of her work. As far as I’m concerned, they’ve succeeded that with “Emma.” (the point is deliberate).
Emma is a slightly arrogant and stubborn woman who wants to interfere in the personal relationships of her surroundings, because she seems to know it all. The people around her all love and adore her and don’t really see her real intentions. Apart from nobleman George Knightly, the only opponent who gets in Emma’s way.
For a film that actually takes too long, “Emma.” is a funny film that stands out and keeps you entertained. Nice to see are the very subtle jokes that are in contrast with the light-hearted comedy, especially brought by Bill Nighy.
“Emma.” has a great cast, with Anya Taylor-Joy shining as the titular character. Not one of the best Jane Austen book-to-movie adaptations, but a pleasant watch and certainly worth your time. If you like Austen novels that is (and I do).

Rating: 3,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 80: A Cure For Welness

Director: Gore Verbinski
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 146 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth, Celia Imrie

Description: An ambitious young executive (Dane DeHaan) is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps, but soon suspects that the spa's treatments are not what they seem.

Review: “A Cure For Wellness” is one of my most anticipated movies for 2017 (Dutch release) and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a visually interesting mystery thriller.
In “A Cure For Wellness”, the ambitious stockbroker Lockhart travels to a spa in Switzerland, to retrieve the CEO of the company he works for. The task to bring Pembroke back isn’t that easy though. Not only does the clinic seem mysterious and suspicious, the treatment by doctor Volmer sounds strange too. When Lockhart gets into an accident, he ends up in the clinic himself and he starts to discover the mystery behind the clinic.
The movie is visually stunning. Lots of great camera work and beautiful images. The story is interesting and captivating. But also scary and disturbing at times.
The film got mixed reviews, but I loved “A Cure For Wellness”. It’s a bit odd, makes bold choices and is risky. It’s definitely not for everyone. Especially not for the weak stomach. But I love how this film dares to be different and takes risks. It works. The movie is original and keeps you in the dark for a long time. This can frustrate you, but I liked that. It isn’t until almost at the end, that you see what is really going on in that clinic.
I seriously don’t understand why people hate this film.

Rating: 5/ 5