Guillermo del Toro’s newest film, Frankenstein, has been a passion project of his for decades. And thanks to sterling production design, an engrossing score, and devoted performances from Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, and, especially, Jacob Elordi, it succeeds in being a mostly faithful but independently ambitious adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. What makes it so individualistically ambitious? No other cinematic adaptation of Shelley’s novel has been so dead set on humanizing the monster, and it’s when it does that this movie soars. So, once you’ve finished watching the two-and-a-half-hour epic on Netflix, what movie should you follow it up with?
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As it turns out there are a few options, though not necessarily movies on Netflix. Of the movies that follow, some hold the same gothic style, others share the same cast members or behind-the-scenes talent, but all of them feel a strong link to del Toro’s newest.
5) Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was a pretty significant departure for The Godfather and The Conversation director Francis Ford Coppola, but he ended up being an excellent match for the material. A faithful adaptation of the titular author’s novel, this is a gothic horror film with top-tier production design and an iconic performance by chameleonic actor Gary Oldman.
At 128 minutes, the movie manages to breeze along pretty consistently, never allowing the particularly wordy screenplay to overwhelm audiences even who have a hard time getting on its classical wavelength. Admittedly, Keanu Reeves’ performance is strongly indicative of him being out of his league with such a densely written film, but that’s one complaint amidst a sea of praise-worthy elements.
Stream Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Netflix.
4) Crimson Peak
Guillermo del Toro has long made films with stunning visuals (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, Pinocchio) and gothic sensibilities (e.g. The Devil’s Backbone). And, like Frankenstein, his 2015 gothic romance horror film Crimson Peak is a strong combination of the two. It also is linked to Frankenstein that it is exceedingly well-acted (especially when it comes to Jessica Chastain).
The film takes a while to get going, and some of its scares don’t feel particularly inventive, but it’s a work that coasts on its style, red-tinged visuals (particularly in the snow-laden third act), and clear love for classic gothic literature by Edgar Allan Poe and Daphne du Maurier. And, again, Chastain delivers work more terrifying than the presence of 100 ghosts.
3) Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Considering Bram Stoker’s Dracula made $216 million on a $40 million price tag it’s not so surprising Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was next up for a text-faithful adaptation. And one couldn’t imagine a better director for that particular task than Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing director Kenneth Branagh.
Unfortunately, in spite of Branagh’s efforts as well as those of Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein mostly lands with a long, dull thud. But it is still a take on the source material that holds Shelley’s work close to its heart and seeks to bring it to life more than it attempts to recreate the 1931 film. For that reason, it’s included here.
2) Pearl
Part of the reason Crimson Peak was included was that, for one, it was a period piece and, two, it was directed by del Toro. Part of the reason Ti West’s Pearl is included is, one, it’s a period piece and, two, like Frankenstein, it features Mia Goth.
All three installments of West’s X trilogy are fantastic and are period pieces of different eras, but Pearl is the one that puts the most emphasis on psychology (and terrific costuming). Just as we learn about Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, we also learn about Goth’s title character and, while we’re intrigued, we shudder at the thought of being in the same room as her.
Stream Pearl on HBO Max.
1) Interview with the Vampire
A decade after he brought lavish production design and classic fairy tale vibes to the werewolf film via The Company of Wolves, Neil Jordan adapted Anne Rice’s classic bloodsucking novel Interview with the Vampire to critical and commercial success. It’s a fan-favorite because of its cinematography, which alternates between intimate and grand as well as the top-billed performance by Tom Cruise, which impressed a once-skeptical Rice.
But the real high-note of the film, outside its production design and costuming, is the work of 11-year-old Kirsten Dunst, for which she received a well-deserved Golden Globe Award nomination. Like Elordi’s work in Frankenstein, she’s the scene-stealer here.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
