The Big Picture

Diablo Cody’s script for Lisa Frankenstein is clever and hilarious with great attention to detail. Zelda Williams’ direction is visually stunning and creatively executed. Kathryn Newton gives a solid performance as the leading lady, showcasing her range and talent.

If there was an Oscar for best movie title, Lisa Frankenstein would have it in the bag. The name alone conjures up two images: the brand Lisa Frank, which produces bright, colorful stickers and school supplies, and Frankenstein’s monster, a pop culture staple conceptualized by Mary Shelley. Lisa Frankenstein essentially, well, Frankensteins those two competing images together into a feature film.

Lisa Frankenstein A coming of RAGE love story about a teenager and her crush, who happens to be a corpse. After a set of horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a journey to find love, happiness – and a few missing body parts. Release Date February 9, 2024 Director Zelda Williams

What Is ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ About?
Lisa Frankenstein stars Kathryn Newton in the titular role. Lisa is a loner who struggles to fit in at school — unlike her peppy, cheerleader stepsister, Taffy (Liza Soberano). It’s not hard to understand why. Just a few years ago, she witnessed her mother being axe-murdered and subsequently went temporarily mute due to the trauma. She doesn’t have any support from her parents, as her father, Dale (Joe Chrest), is emotionally absent and constantly railroaded by her chipperly cruel stepmother, Janet (Carla Gugino).

So Lisa finds solace in the cemetery, particularly at the grave of one specific young man she confides in. One night during a storm, that man comes to life — or at least goes from dead to undead — and comes to be known as The Creature (Cole Sprouse). Though Lisa is predictably and understandably terrified of the zombie she created at first, the two become fast friends — and maybe even something more. Their hijinks range from hilarious to horrifying as they go from hiding The Creature in the closet to hiding bodies in the graveyard. Screams romance, right?

‘Lisa Frankenstein’s Details Are Killer
Image via Focus Features

Lisa Frankenstein sets up a lot of quirky characterization from the get-go, from the fact Taffy owns a tanning bed to Lisa having a sewing job. The elements are charming in and of themselves, but Diablo Cody’s script sets itself apart in how it cleverly ties everything together, making even the smallest, seemingly most innocuous details relevant to the overarching plot. There’s a satisfying payoff for nearly every small seed that’s planted.

Though the rules of this universe and its magic system can be slightly muddled and unclear — and the ending suffers because of it, feeling a bit confusing and rushed — the world director Zelda Williams creates is still a hell of a lot of fun to live in. Because of that, some plot holes and pacing can be easily overlooked. Williams is a master of juxtapositions, masterfully balancing and blending contradictory ideas. Lisa Frankenstein pays tribute to the 1980s and the 1800s, nails comedic and horror aspects, and will be a movie you want to make both a Halloween and Valentine’s Day tradition.

The visuals are stunning, with the costuming, production design, and cinematography all working together to execute Williams’ vision. Some of the most gorgeous moments happen when Williams leans into the Gothic, Tim Burton-esque aesthetics that start at the opening credits. Surreal, black-and-white dream sequences continue the dark whimsy throughout. One of the most memorable scenes is during the peculiar lightning storm that acts as the movie’s catalyst, which sees Lisa stumbling through a house party as a moody rendition of “I Can See Clearly Now” plays. It’s haunting and sexy, somehow both off-putting and irresistible — just like the movie itself.

‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Comes Alive Due to Its Young Starpower
Image via Focus Features

If you weren’t already convinced Kathryn Newton was a star from her incredible performances in everything from prestige projects like Big Little Lies to the MCU, Lisa Frankenstein will change that. Newton takes her horror experience from Freaky, her comedy chops from Blockers, and her romance background from The Map of Tiny Perfect Things and puts them in a blender, as this role lets her play to her many strengths and allows her to showcase new sides in an outrageous part that’s unlike any other. Her comedic delivery is spot-on, selling hilarious lines like “you’re a dead man — not a Chrysler Lebaron” and “I’m the Sally Ride of drugs” with astonishing believability. This role allows her to be both scared and scary, requiring dramatic range. That’s a daunting task on its own, and that’s not even to mention the added challenge of having a nonverbal scene partner for the majority of the film in The Creature.

Still, Sprouse deserves credit for his performance. Every movement, grunt, and expression is vital for selling the chemistry between Lisa and The Creature, and they play off each other well, managing to feel like they’re genuinely communicating despite his lack of dialogue. It’s easy to root for the two beyond this as well, with Cody’s smart script drawing parallels between them. It’s said that Lisa “walked around like a zombie” after her mother died and that she had mutism for a period due to PTSD. They can understand each other even without words due to Lisa’s past. Not only is this a love story between the two of them, but it’s a love story between Lisa and herself, too, as she learns to embrace parts of herself that society deems weird through caring for The Creature.

The fact Lisa also gains confidence through revenge is fun and certainly amps up the wacky comedic horror elements the film is playing with, but it is difficult to track where Lisa is at in her journey at times. She’s unpredictable and unhinged, meaning it can take the audience some time to catch up on her unique logic. This is most obvious when Lisa first decides to embrace her dark side, so to speak, as well as the conclusion, where she makes what seems to be a rather rash choice to be able to stay with The Creature forever. The film’s urgency and rationale feel disorienting, making it unable to quite stick the landing.

But the path to get there makes it more than worth it, not the least of which is due to its excellent supporting characters, namely Soberano and Gugino. Soberano is the perfect foil for Newton. She’s been thriving in Filipino cinema for years, and it’s not hard to see why. Her comedic timing and delivery are phenomenal, and she’s able to bring vulnerability and sincerity to every scene, even when the material she has to say would look completely out-of-pocket and callous on paper. The sisterhood between Lisa and Taffy is a highlight of the film, running the gambit from sibling rivalry to forming an unexpected but affecting bond. In lesser hands, Taffy could be a stereotype — a one-dimensional character we’ve seen hundreds of times — but Soberano puts a refreshing spin on her, giving her real depth and scene-stealing moments.

Carla Gugino Is Great in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ — The Way the Film Handles Mental Health Less So

Gugino unsurprisingly makes a feast of her deliciously wicked stepmother role, chewing every bit of scenery she can. Gugino has always turned in solid performances, and it’s delightful to see her finally start to get her flowers, particularly in the horror space with her work in the Mike Flanagan universe. Lisa Frankenstein only further solidifies and spotlights her mastery of the genre, allowing her to flex her villain muscles as a psychiatric nurse with dangerous savior and martyr complexes alike.

Yes, it’s set in the 80s, and yes, much of the conversation around mental illness is obviously deliberately exaggerated for the sake of the genre, but I still think it’s worth mentioning that the way these topics are handled can veer into slightly uncomfortable territory. Lisa’s trauma and coping mechanisms are played for laughs, with the threat of Janet sending her to a psychiatric facility the worst fate she can imagine. There’s a fine line between poking fun at those who weaponize other people’s trauma and stigmatizing those who actually suffer from real-life issues, and Lisa Frankenstein toes it. If you take it with a grain of salt knowing its intentions are to make Janet the butt of the joke — not Lisa — it’s not terribly egregious or disturbing, but it’s not particularly interesting or sensitive either, and it does open up the conversation of how these disorders are depicted in the media.

Grounded by exceptional performance across the board, a rich and funny script, and confident direction, Lisa Frankenstein is a delightful film. It doesn’t break a lot of new ground (unless you count the many graves that are dug up throughout its 101-minute runtime), but it does manage to frequently subvert expectations of horror, comedy, and romance movies alike. All-in-all, it’s a bloody good time.

Lisa Frankenstein REVIEWLisa Frankenstein is a bloody good time that leans into the comedy and chaos of love and grief alike. ProsDiablo Cody’s script is hilarious and clever, with great payoff for even the smallest details. Zelda Williams’ direction is creative and visually stunning. The performances are great across the board, with Kathryn Newton once again proving herself a solid leading lady. ConsThe ending feels slightly rushed. Both Lisa’s logic and the rules of the world can feel unclear at times. The film handles aspects of mental health in a questionable way.

Lisa Frankenstein comes to theaters in the U.S. on February 9. Click below for showtimes.

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