Fresh Air

Guillermo Del Toro Finally Makes His Own 'Frankenstein'

28 snips
Oct 23, 2025
Guillermo del Toro, an Oscar-winning filmmaker known for his vivid imagination and previous work on monster films, delves deep into his lifelong obsession with Frankenstein. He shares how his childhood experiences and family trauma shaped his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic. Del Toro discusses the film’s three-part structure, its religious themes, and the philosophical contemplation of death. Film critic Justin Chang reviews Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, highlighting its blend of humor and political critique amidst a backdrop of personal and societal struggles.
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ANECDOTE

Childhood Epiphany Watching Frankenstein

  • At age seven Guillermo del Toro had a religious epiphany watching the 1931 Frankenstein and made the creature his personal avatar.
  • That moment shaped his lifelong fascination with monsters and faith.
ANECDOTE

Father's Kidnapping Shaped His Life

  • Del Toro described his father as warm but distant and recounted the trauma of his father's 72-day kidnapping.
  • He says that experience and its PTSD influenced themes in his film and his move to the U.S.
INSIGHT

Three-Part Structure Alters Perspective

  • Del Toro structured Frankenstein in three distinct chapters to shift perspective and jolt the audience.
  • He uses color, camera work, and tone to separate Victor's tale, the fairy-tale middle, and the creature's final POV.
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