Unraveling the Best ‘Frankenstein’ Adaptations for an Unforgettable Halloween Viewing Experience

Remakes, reimaginings, and adaptations have been integral to cinema since its inception. In our series, Version Control, Jesse Hassenger delves into stories that have seen multiple cinematic versions, guiding you in choosing the best one for your streaming lineup.

The name “Frankenstein” from Mary Shelley’s iconic gothic novel may be the most recognizable monster-related surname ever. While Dracula rivals its popularity, Shelley’s book was published earlier, in 1818. Since then, the narrative of a mad scientist creating life from dead body parts and the monstrous result has inspired countless films. Not all of these films are direct adaptations of Shelley’s Frankenstein; many simply borrow the core concept. This often leads to confusion when trying to navigate the multitude of Frankenstein-inspired films, especially when a new release bearing the legendary name hits theaters.

Such is the case with the latest release, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which arrives in theaters before its Netflix debut. With a prestigious team behind it, this film joins a long line of similarly titled movies. That’s where Version Control steps in, helping you sift through the myriad adaptations of Frankenstein to decide which one deserves a spot in your Halloween viewing lineup—or even for a casual movie night.

1. 

   James Whale’s 1931 classic is likely the image that springs to mind when thinking of Frankenstein’s Monster: towering, flat-headed, with bolts in his neck. Interestingly, this film strays significantly from Shelley’s novel. Instead of delving into Victor Frankenstein’s background, the movie opens with a grave-robbing scene. In a curious twist, the protagonist is named Henry Frankenstein (played by Colin Clive), not Victor. The film diverges from the novel in other ways too, introducing a hunchbacked assistant named Fritz, a character absent from Shelley’s original work.

   Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the Monster is more childlike, contrasting with the novel’s character who evolves to become articulate, learning to read and write. Karloff’s version remains in a state of stunted communication, adding a unique tragic element to the film. While it doesn’t faithfully follow the novel, its iconic status, succinct 70-minute runtime, and Karloff’s memorable performance make it a standout. However, it finds tough competition in its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein. Whale’s 1935 sequel, inspired by a subplot from Shelley’s text, takes the story further with added humor and stunning visuals, arguably surpassing the original in many ways. It remains one of the first and finest superior sequels in film history. This places the original Frankenstein as an essential watch, but perhaps not the top pick among its peers. Let’s explore further contenders.

   Watch Frankenstein on Prime Video.

   Fresh off the success of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola turned his sights to another famous lit-based monster, but not as a director this time. He produced Kenneth Branagh’s similarly feverish Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which promptly bombed at the box office, performing as a de facto sequel to Coppola’s Dracula, which polarized audiences in 1992. Branagh cast himself as Frankenstein, Helena Bonham Carter as Victor’s childhood love (and, in this telling, adopted sister, yeesh!) Elizabeth, and none other than Robert De Niro as the Creature. Given its pedigree, expectations were understandably high, and both critics and audiences seemed underwhelmed by the movie whipsawing from over-the-top melodrama (especially in its pre-monster half) into more introspective material featuring De Niro, whose performance here is underrated (and was probably unfairly compared to Karloff).

   While the film lacks the pure bonkers craft of Coppola’s movie-mad (and decidedly horny) Dracula, it’s a worthwhile companion piece to that movie, and far more faithful to the source material than the 1931 film. Interestingly, Branagh pays homage to the older films by taking off from the Shelley plot point that inspired Bride of Frankenstein and pursuing an idea more related to the Whale sequel, a clever solution to the lack of surprise in so many remakes/re-adaptations. The movie is also inescapably Branagh-directed, which means you get more of Branagh than you probably need or want, frequently served up shirtless. But is it not sort of appropriate for a Frankenstein movie to be directed by an egomaniac who loses control of his creation?

   Where to stream Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

3. Guillermo del Toro has long regarded Frankenstein as a dream project, and with that status comes plenty of danger: Sometimes dream projects float around in a filmmaker’s head for so long that they become foggy and vaporous, impossible to properly translate to the screen with the necessary intensity. On top of which, wouldn’t it make more sense for del Toro to riff on Frankenstein without adapting it, the way The Shape of Water isn’t actually a remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon? Yet against those odds and plenty of others (Netflix’s involvement, for one), del Toro has made his Frankenstein both a satisfying adaptation and very much is own thing. The sets and costumes are as elaborate and opulent as you might expect, and though del Toro is largely in gothic Crimson Peak mode here, man, he’s also working overtime to provide wonderfully gruesome new horror images, whether through Frankenstein’s earlier trial-and-error experiments or the later gory wrath of the Creature (Jacob Elordi), who is given superhero-like powers of healing and strength. Elordi does some of his best work ever in the role, Oscar Isaac is great fun as the mad doctor, and Mia Goth does lovely work as Elizabeth, here recast as Victor’s brother’s fiancée and given a few scenes of connection with the monster.

   If there’s a problem with the movie, it’s a carryover from the initial concern over del Toro tackling material that so informs so much of his work: He telegraphs his man-is-the-real-monster point early and often, ultimately seeming uninterested in lending much sympathy to Dr. Frankenstein – his lead character, despite the monster sympathy! That’s not an inherent problem, but in the context of del Toro’s work and other monster movies, it does feel a bit familiar. Then again, as a reimagining of a book that’s been around for 200 years, Frankenstein is remarkably fresh, especially as a visual experience. Netflix may not be giving it the saturated theatrical release it deserves, but it’s worth seeking out on the big screen if it’s playing near you (and it is hitting more indie theaters than usual for a Netflix movie before its Nov. 7 streaming debut).

   Stream Frankenstein (2025) on Netflix

THE VERSION CONTROL VERDICT: FRANKENSTEIN (2025)

To be clear, the 1931 Frankenstein is a classic and you should see it (and Bride of Frankenstein, which is even cooler, and probably one of the ten best horror movies ever). That said, if you’re looking for an adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel specifically, del Toro’s new version is the one to check out. It’s faithful to much of the plot and thematic concerns of the book while offering up enough variation to not feel like a rote recitation.