Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein: Did the Master Crafter Just Level Up the Monster Mythos? (IGN Review Unpacked)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Jeff dives into IGN's review of Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited *Frankenstein* film, unpacking how the narrative plays out like a sprawling RPG with themes of generational trauma and questioning who the 'real monster' truly is, all while celebrating GDT's unique vision and deep love for the source material.
Right, so you've just spent twenty years grinding for that one elusive legendary item, that perfect character build you've been dreaming of, yeah? That's kinda how Guillermo del Toro must feel about his *Frankenstein* flick, which IGN South Africa just dropped a review for. We're talking two decades in the making, mate, and if Scott Collura's review is anything to go by, it’s not just another jump-scare simulator; it’s a bloody masterclass in narrative design, even if it's not a game itself.
You know that feeling when a game’s lore runs so deep, it feels like history itself? That's the vibe del Toro's apparently channeling with this take on Mary Shelley’s classic. The review kicks off by talking about generational trauma – this pain handed down from parent to child, an endless, looping cutscene. We’re not just talking ancient Greek gods like Kronos and Zeus, who were basically proto-griefers, but even cinematic titans like Michael Corleone, trying to escape his father’s shadow only to dive head-first into the underworld. These are the kinds of deep, character-defining backstories we crave in our RPGs, aren't they? The ones that make you pause and think, 'Bloody hell, this character's got more baggage than my inventory after a dungeon crawl.'
Del Toro, our digital wizard of the macabre, apparently doesn't stray too far from the source material. The bones of the story are intact: Man makes monster, man rejects monster, monster gets proper peed off. Sound familiar? It’s the ultimate morality questline, the 'who's the real monster?' trope dialled up to eleven. But here's the kicker, according to IGN: these aren't just any old bones. They're "carved out of Dr. Frankenstein’s choicest picks," making the whole thing feel fresh and hauntingly beautiful, like finding a forgotten, gorgeous indie game gem.
Now, let's talk about the main players. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein isn't just a monster – oh no, that’s too simple. He’s a monster spawned by a monster, his dad Leopold (played by Charles Dance, who, fair dinkum, seems destined to play every miserable arsehole in history with terrifying grace). This cycle of abuse, this generational pain, it's like a curse debuff passed down through every save file. And then Victor goes and makes his own creation, played by Jacob Elordi, who's apparently rocking a scarred-but-still-movie-star-handsome look.
Elordi's Creature sounds like the kind of companion NPC we’d all go to bat for. He's a "marvel," exhibiting "Marvel-esque superhuman powers" (which, let's be honest, is a pretty neat character perk for a monster). But more than just being a walking set of combat skills, he’s sympathetic, a "sad-sack SOB who just wants a friend." The review even reckons Elordi's body language channels GDT regular Doug Jones, which, if you know Doug, means we're talking about a masterclass in physical character acting – the kind of nuanced animation and movement that makes you truly empathise with a creature, rather than just treating it like a target dummy. This isn't your average boss fight; this is a tragic narrative unfolding.
Victor, on the other hand, runs the risk of becoming too unlikable. Initially, there's affection, but when the Creature can only manage a repetitive "Vict-or," our genius, but frankly, dickish doctor gets frustrated. Instead of nurturing his creation, he punishes it, just like his old man. It's like a bad player choice that locks you into a morally grey storyline, leaving you to wonder if you can even root for your own protagonist anymore. Colin Clive’s original mad doctor always had a bit of sympathetic looniness, but Isaac’s Victor apparently leans hard into full-on antagonist territory. It's a bold move, pushing the audience to question who the *real* villain is, a philosophical quest we often find ourselves on in games like *The Witcher* or *Spec Ops: The Line*.
And then there’s Mia Goth as Elizabeth Harlander, bringing her trademark otherworldliness to the role. GDT twists the plot here, shifting Elizabeth's affections and giving her an uncle played by Christoph Waltz. While Waltz is usually a welcome addition to any cinematic ensemble, the review gently suggests his character, a benefactor for Victor's experiments, doesn't add much beyond making the film a bit longer. Sounds a bit like a well-designed but ultimately superfluous NPC, mate. Great voice acting, decent lore dump, but maybe doesn't move the main questline forward much.
The film itself, despite the blood and gore (ripped-off jaws and crunched skulls, oh my!), isn't a horror flick. It’s more akin to GDT’s Gothic romance, *Crimson Peak*, immersing the viewer in a "big, engulfing" world. Think about games with incredible environmental storytelling and atmosphere over jump scares – the kind where the art direction itself tells a story. We’re talking city streets running red with slaughterhouse blood and frozen battlefields with ice-covered horses mid-gallop. It’s a visually stunning biome, contrasting beautifully with moments of creation, like Elordi’s Creature experiencing the sun for the first time. "Sun is life," as Victor apparently tells him – a simple truth that hits harder than any critical hit.
Del Toro wears his geek cred like a badge of honour, which, let's be fair, is what we all do in the gaming community. The Creature’s design clearly riffs on comics legend Bernie Wrightson's *Frankenstein*, and an early experiment feels like it’s plucked straight from *The Return of the Living Dead*. This fusion of influences, brought to life by a true auteur, is like a game developer taking beloved IPs, respecting the source material, but then spinning them into something genuinely new and exciting. It's not a reskin; it's a re-imagining with heart.
Anyone who’s dipped into Shelley’s original knows a happy ending isn't on the cards. But GDT, our curious wizard, believes the "fucked-up Frankenstein family deserves redemption." He tells the story from two points of view – Victor's and the Creature's – which is basically a genius game design choice for a narrative about atonement and forgiveness. Can the Creature forgive Victor’s monumental failings as a parent? Can Victor actually break the cycle of abuse that’s been passed down like a cursed heirloom? These are the player-choice moments that define truly impactful storytelling. The review sums it up beautifully: "All you need is love." Sometimes, even in the darkest dungeons, that’s the ultimate quest reward.
Twenty years in the making, and IGN reckons it does not disappoint. Del Toro's put all his skill points into tragedy, romance, and redemption, rather than just a straight horror build. It’s not about the jump scares, mate; it’s about "why violence so often feels inevitable. And what it takes to stop it." Deep stuff for any player to ponder.
*Original review by Scott Collura for IGN South Africa.*
Tags: narrative-driven, character-development, storytelling, horror-adjacent, film-adaptation
Original article: IGN South Africa