#TIFF50 - Frankenstein-Toronto's fav Director

 

FRANKENSTEIN

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christophe Waltz

Running Time: 2 hr. 29 min. 

Special Presentation: Toronto International Film Festival

Director Guillermo del Toro has a bit of a reputation as Toronto's favourite Director these days because, besides being a fantastic Director and shooting many of his projects here, he is also known for popping up around town and talking about his favourite places.  

He is the master of the monster fantasy genre. Frankenstein was one of the buzziest films of Tiff this year.  A lot of people were really looking forward to seeing it because:

1. It was shot in Toronto

2. Jacob Elordi is the monster

3. we love del Toro

You know it's popular when Tiff (Toronto International Film Festival) has 4 screenings at the Princess of Wales theatre and another 2 at Tiff Lightbox.  That's unusual and a sign it will be popular.

I was lucky to get a ticket, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see the screening with the Director and Cast.

This is a long film, 2 hours and 29 minutes, but it flowed very quickly and didn't feel as long as it is.

There is an intentional look to the film with very dark tones and aged, which is reflected in the costume design.

The casting was fantastic and, surprisingly, one of the current hot actors, Jacob Elordi, was cast as the monster, where he was transformed in the film.

Unless you have never watched films or have read Mary Shelly's book, you probably know the Frankenstein story, but this film is really layered and comes to life in every way.

With Oscar Isaac as the scientific creator of the creature and Elordi as the monster, by the end, you wonder who the monster really is.

If you have seen del Toro's The Shape of Water, you know that he brings out human emotion with very intentional dialogue and a lot of facial expression.

You find yourself asking the question, When does science go too far?

I usually get very restless or distracted in long movies, but I didn't feel that way at all watching this film.

You will have a chance to see it in theatres or streaming online.

Theatre Release date: Oct. 17, 2025

Netflix Release date:  Nov. 7, 2025