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Review: ‘The Bride!’ Offers Up a Unique Twist on the Frankenstein Mythology, Invigorated by a Bold and Bizarre Tale of Female Empowerment
March 5, 2026Ben MK
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When you think of Frankenstein, you probably think of Boris Karloff's iconic screen portrayal of the monster in 1931's Frankenstein. Fast forward almost a century, however, and while countless more adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 literary masterpiece have come and gone, Karloff's version remains the most memorable. It's a testament to the impact of Karloff's performance, not to mention the performance from Elsa Lanchester, who played the Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 sequel. And with The Bride!, writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal is setting out to reimagine the Bride as audiences have never seen her before, transforming the character from a mere companion to a woman empowered to speak out against the horrific injustices committed by the patriarchy. The time and place is 1936 Chicago — a far cry from the old-world antiquity of 19th century Europe — and when Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale) shows up at the doorstep of Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening), it's a surprising turn of events that will soon mark the beginning of a productive partnership. Assuming the surname of his father, the mad scientist who created him 127 years ago, Frank, as he likes to be called, is a man reborn. Determined to leave behind the brutality and violence of his past and eager to experience the intimacy of a real relationship, he has come to Chicago specifically to seek out Euphronius for her expertise in the field of invigoration. However, when the pair dig up the freshly deceased corpse of a murder victim named Ida (Jessie Buckley) and resurrect her broken body to satisfy Frank's humble request, they soon discover that their newly reinvigorated creation isn't so much the blank slate they were expecting, but rather a woman tormented by her own tragic history and haunted by the restless voices that speak to her from beyond the grave. A witness who was working to dig up dirt on mob boss Vito Lupino (Zlatko Buric) on behalf of police detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard), Ida's untimely demise came at the hands of two of Lupino's goons (John Magaro and Matthew Maher). What this criminalstic duo didn't count on, though, was for their platinum-blonde liability to literally rise from the dead, rejuvenated by an insatiable thirst for vengeance. And when Ida and Frank gain public notoriety after a night club brawl that leaves two men gruesomely dead, it sparks a nationwide manhunt that not only has Wiles and his fellow detective, Myrna Malloy (Penelope Cruz), hot on their trail, but also every cop from Chicago to New York City. As this monstrous Bonnie and Clyde journey across the country, stopping occasionally to take in a movie starring Frank's favorite song-and-dance actor, Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), they find themselves continually pursued, never knowing whether their next pit stop will be their last. The only question is, who will catch up to them first — and when they do, will they be sympathetic to their situation, or will they simply treat Ida and Frank as the monstrous maniacs everyone perceives them to be? What follows isn't your typical monster movie, nor is it in any way a follow-up to Shelley's original Frankenstein tale or any other cinematic incarnation. On the contrary, The Bride! is very much content being its own thing — yet, whether moviegoers are receptive to the film's brash and quirky wavelength is something that will depend entirely on viewers' tolerance for a female protagonist who comes off as someone suffering from Tourette's, as well as their ability to forgive the narrative's frequent diversions into the realm of pseudo-self-aware social commentary and third-wall-breaking interludes. Make no mistake, this reimagining of Frankenstein and the Bride's dynamic as a couple on the run from the law is an ingenious reinvention. As far as the execution is concerned, however, the result leaves much to be desired, especially for those hoping for a cohesive story that doesn't try to clobber audiences over the head with how clever it's trying to be at every opportunity. Throw in a bizarre homage to Young Frankenstein, some not-so-subtle #MeToo allegories, and an ending that's more suited to a superhero blockbuster rather than a horror romance, and you have the makings of a movie that can often feel as schizophrenic as its title character. Still, it's hard to fault The Bride! for attempting to do something fresh with the source material, especially in an era where most Hollywood projects tend to be sequels or remakes. Suffice to say, fans of Shelley might be left somewhat disappointed. But if you're in the mood for a uniquely twisted story of female empowerment, then this is as invigorating a tale as any. The Bride! releases March 6th, 2026 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong/bloody violent content, sexual content/nudity and language. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 6 min. |
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