SBG 133: Lisa Frankenstein with Silas Howard

This week, Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with Silas Howard (@silash), award-winning trans filmmaker, to talk about why the 2024 horror-romcom Lisa Frankenstein Should’ve Been Gay. If you recall, we recently did an SBG episode on the 2022 series Darby and the Dead, which was directed by none other than Silas. So when we decided to do an episode on Lisa Frankenstein, we could not think of a more fitting guest for discussing this incredibly campy, queer-coded Halloweencore romcom.

As you all know by now, monsters are super queer-coded. They are often depicted on the fringes of society, hiding in literal closets, and transforming their bodies in unique ways. If you identified with the misunderstood monster in horror movies growing up, you’re probably some flavor of queer now. Lisa Frankenstein takes identifying with monsters a step further by making the transmasc-coded creature a love interest for the main character. 

The story follows Kathryn Newton’s character Lisa Swallows (the jokes basically write themselves) and her growing friendship with a reanimated corpse. She seems entirely unconcerned with his whole being dead thing and doesn’t mind one bit that he is missing certain body parts. Things get increasingly unhinged as Lisa begins helping her new friend get the body parts he needs to feel affirmed and comfortable in his newly reanimated skin. 

Everything in this film from the plot to the cast (Carla freaking Gugino is in this!) to the color palette to the over the top drag-influence on the costume design is too queer-coded to have been unintentional. Honestly even the morally ambiguous way that the characters approach killing is queer-coded. Even though the film doesn’t go all the way there or expressly state anyone’s sexuality, it’s basically leaping off the screen the entire time. 

We know one thing for sure, Lisa Frankenstein Should’ve Been Gay(er). 

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