The Bride review: An ambitious and stylish monster movie that doesn’t entirely cohere

by

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935), featuring Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester, is a clever and entertaining sequel to his groundbreaking Frankenstein (1931). Many consider it a better follow-up than the original, putting it in the company of other highly-regarded sequels like The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Dark Knight.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s new take on the classic 1935 film is lighthearted and imaginative. Set in mid-1930s America, it shows the Monster, nicknamed “Frank” and powerfully played by Christian Bale, at a breaking point after more than a century of solitude.

Jessie Buckley plays Ida, a woman who dramatically changes from a quiet, unhappy girlfriend of a gangster into a fiercely outspoken and rebellious figure. This transformation happens because Ida becomes possessed by the spirit of novelist Mary Shelley (also played by Buckley), mirroring a visual style from the 1935 film. In this ghostly realm, Shelley regrets her lack of control over her own life and channels her early feminist anger into Ida. However, this possession ultimately leads to Ida’s premature death, making her the perfect subject for a resurrection attempt.

From the very beginning, Shelley asks whether the story will be a ghost story, a horror story, or, most disturbingly, a love story.

With her second directorial effort after 2021’s The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal tries to bring together a variety of filmmaking techniques, and also includes exciting twists and turns from different genres.

The director’s second film showcases a vibrant style, inspired by classic movie musicals – particularly through the character of charismatic performer Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal). This love of spectacle carries through to a later, more dangerous journey reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde. One standout scene features the recently deceased crashing a high-society event in New York and breaking into a lively dance to ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz,’ a playful nod to Mel Brooks’s classic comedy ‘Young Frankenstein’.

Hot on their trail is the stern detective Jake Wiles (played by Peter Sarsgaard, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s husband) and his capable assistant, Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz). Myrna is determined to prove herself in a male-dominated field, creating a dynamic reminiscent of classic films like The Thin Man and His Girl Friday, though with a less rapid-fire style of dialogue.

Jessie Buckley is captivating as the Bride, bringing to mind Elsa Lanchester with her wild, shocked blonde hair. However, she makes the role uniquely her own with a striking makeup look – a blotchy, inkblot-like face and dramatically dark lips. The actress, currently a frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar for her work in ‘Hamnet’, truly shines here, seamlessly shifting between playing a boisterous Chicagoan, a refined but irritable version of Shelley, and a strangely vulnerable, almost feral character, sometimes all within the same scene.

Bale’s performance is reminiscent of Boris Karloff, portraying a tired and gentle creature who prefers kindness over conflict.

The film deserves credit for its bold vision, elegant style, and clear appreciation of the source material. However, the story feels somewhat disjointed, as side plots involving the Chicago mafia and the relationship between Sarsgaard and Cruz distract from the central, unusual, and compelling romance. It’s a shame, because the performances, beautiful camerawork, and stunning costumes are all excellent.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. We need your permission to load it because reCAPTCHA might use cookies and similar technologies. By selecting ‘Accept and continue’, you’ll allow reCAPTCHA to work and help keep things secure.

Authors

Jeremy Aspinall

Read More

2026-03-05 18:37