Throughout the marketing campaign for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, promotional materials have offered glimpses of the famous monster’s appearance but have refrained from showing The Creature in full. This approach is a popular industry trick, offering enough to tease viewers while saving the final reveal for the film’s premiere. To date, the best looks at The Creature have obscured the character’s face, leaving it up to the audience to fill in the blanks with their imaginations. It comes as something of a surprise, then, that Netflix has opted to reverse course so soon before Frankenstein‘s streaming debut. The latest trailer shows off a proper look at The Creature, and it may not be what fans expect.
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The new preview, released today on Netflix’s official social media channels, features multiple shots of Jacob Elordi as The Creature. His physical appearance is a notable difference from what typically comes to mind when one pictures Frankenstein’s monster. With his white skin, The Creature closely resembles the Engineers from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. Watch the trailer in the space below:
Guillermo del Toro Put His Own Spin on Frankenstein
Frankenstein was a long-gestating passion project for del Toro, who finally got the opportunity to realize his vision thanks to Netflix. While the film aims to be a largely faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s original novel, it still incorporates some changes to the source material (as all adaptations do). Many critics are in agreement that whatever tweaks del Toro made helped elevate the story, as Frankenstein has earned positive reviews and is considered one of the streamer’s primary contenders for Oscar nominations this year (it may be their top priority for a Best Picture campaign). Unsurprisingly, given del Toro’s track record as a filmmaker, his sensibilities proved to be a perfect fit for this tale.
Altering The Creature’s appearance is a decision that seems to have paid off. Elordi’s performance has received widespread acclaim, as the actor found a way to tap into the emotional and tragic elements of the story. Though Frankenstein’s monster is familiar as a horror movie icon, del Toro didn’t want to lean into that in his version. As he previously said his Frankenstein is “about being a father, being a son,” exploring the poignant dynamic between The Creature and his creator. While The Creature still looks unnatural in del Toro’s film, it seems there was an effort to humanize him as much as possible — which, again, is right in line with del Toro’s filmmaking sensibilities. He has always been interested in examining the human side of monsters, which is what drew him to Frankenstein in the first place.
In an age where digital characters have become more prevalent in high-profile films, cinephiles will probably be pleased to learn that Elordi performed under extensive prosthetics and makeup. While technology has evolved to a point where CGI characters are extremely photorealistic and life-like, there’s still something very tactile and weighty about practical makeup. This was the reason why James Gunn used makeup to transform Anthony Carrigan into Metamorpho in Superman. It adds an extra layer of believability, and based on the reactions to Frankenstein, it’s for the best del Toro went this route.
It’ll be interesting to see if Elordi finds himself in the running for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. As always, that category is stacked with possible contenders, but if Frankenstein is as much of a player as some suspect, Elordi could garner enough support. He is the heart of Frankenstein, giving the film a powerful emotional core that helps it resonate with viewers. The impeccable craftsmanship of del Toro and his crew should earn Frankenstein some below the line nominations (perhaps Best Makeup and Hairstyling), but it would be great to see Elordi rewarded for what he brought to the picture.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
