The Big Picture Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ and the Best Frankenstein Movies. Plus: Jennifer Lawrence Is Ablaze in ‘Die My Love.’
13 snips
Nov 7, 2025 
Rob Mahoney, a film critic and festival expert, joins the discussion to dive into Guillermo del Toro’s 'Frankenstein,' highlighting the film's mixed reviews and its captivating second half focusing on the creature's tale. They explore its unique visual efforts and the emotional depth of Jacob Elordi's performance. The conversation then shifts to Lynne Ramsay’s 'Die My Love,' where Mahoney and the hosts laud Jennifer Lawrence's remarkable portrayal, reflecting on motherhood's complexities and the film's stylistic brilliance.
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Two Unequal Halves Shift The Film's Power
- The film is structurally split into two unequal halves: The Creator's Tale and The Creature's Tale.
- The Creature's Tale resonates more because Del Toro's empathy aligns with that section.
Blame Moves From Creature To Creator
- Del Toro shifts moral responsibility onto Victor, making the creature almost wholly sympathetic.
- That framing drains some of the novel's tension by removing the monster's culpability.
A Modern, Silent-Era Creature
- Jacob Elordi's creature is redesigned as a lean, sutured, expressive figure rather than the Karloff archetype.
- The performance relies on silent-era expressiveness and physical acting to carry emotional weight.
