Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” has always felt like the perfect material for Guillermo del Toro. Now the Oscar-winning filmmaker is bringing to life his extraordinary vision of Shelley’s celebrated classic. Del Toro puts together an exceptional cast along with a team of amazing artists and designers to create a profoundly fresh retelling of “Frankenstein” while also capturing what has made it such a beloved and timeless story.

For decades del Toro has longed to make his own Frankenstein movie. He was finally given the means by Netflix following the massive success of his Academy Award winning “Pinocchio”. Del Toro’s approach to “Frankenstein” is much the same as it was for “Pinocchio”. By that I mean he not only looks at the well known core of the story, but also the depths of the source material that has yet to make it on screen. And of course we also get del Toro’s unique sense of the dark and fantastical which is what ultimately gives the movie its distinct identity.

Del Toro opens his film with a stunning prelude that highlights the kind of eye-popping practical effects work woven throughout the entire production. In 1857, a Danish ship finds itself trapped in thick Artic ice while on an expedition to the North Pole. As night falls, an explosion in the distance grabs their attention. The Captain (Lars Mikkelsen) leads a detail of men to investigate the site where they find a severely injured man. A loud unidentifiable roar sends the frightened men retreating to the ship. Once back, the captain takes the injured man to his quarters. The stranger introduces himself as Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac).

As the creature (a sublime Jacob Elordi) wreaks havoc amid the terrified crew, Victor begins telling his story to the Captain. Through exquisitely crafted flashbacks he shares about his troubled childhood under the rule of a cold and overbearing father (Charles Dance). And he expresses his immense sadness at the loss of his mother, who died while giving birth to his younger brother William. That loss triggered an obsession in young Victor who pledged to one day conquer death.

Years later in 1855, we see the brilliant yet vain Victor defending his attempts at reanimating the dead during a disciplinary hearing at Edinburgh’s Royal College of Medicine. After he brings part of a corpse to life, the repulsed professors expel him from their ranks. But he impresses Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a wealthy arms broker who offers him unlimited funding, starting with securing an abandoned coastal tower to serve as Victor’s laboratory. Through del Toro’s beautifully twisted lens we see Victor bring his grotesque creation to life and soon after face the consequences of playing God.

From there the perspective shifts to the creature. While Victor’s tale is one of genius converging with madness, the creature’s story is more of a heart-wrenching tragedy. Elordi brilliantly captures his character’s traumatic evolution, where childlike innocence transforms into pain-filled maturity. Just as del Toro vividly reveals Victor’s profound arrogance and recklessness, he equally conveys the creature’s emptiness and despair. The ugliness he encounters leaves him dejected and hopeless, eventually fueling a vengeful fury within him which only adds to the tragedy.

To no surprise, “Frankenstein” is a feast for the senses. Whether it’s the intensely detailed sets, the gorgeous vistas, or the meticulously designed costumes, there’s never a moment where there’s not something for our eyes to admire, especially as captured by DP Dan Laustsen. The sound design is equally captivating, as is composer Alexandre Desplat’s score which oscillates between ominously Gothic to emotionally tender. As for the violence, it’s fittingly gruesome and in-tune with the gloriously dark vibe del Toro is going for.

The performances are nearly as captivating. As mentioned, Elordi impresses in a role originally planned for Andrew Garfield. But the 28-year-old Australian makes the character his own. Isaac is just as good, furiously teetering between brilliance and insanity. Waltz is his usual sturdy self while Mia Goth is compelling as Harlander’s niece, Elizabeth. The grizzled Mikkelsen is a nice fit for as the sea-weary Captain Anderson. And Felix Kammerer is solid as William although his character sometimes gets lost within the story’s many moving parts.

“Frankenstein” is a symphony of creative energy emanating from a filmmaker with a deep and obvious passion for the classic tale he’s retelling. Del Toro’s passion project honors the very best from Shelley’s beloved work. But as with most inspired filmmakers, he adds his own distinct spin which manifests itself in the soulful storytelling and the visionary craftsmanship. His imagination soars throughout his richly textured world. His heart finds empathy and humanity in the story’s darkest places. And his longstanding affection for myth and the macabre is on full display, pleasing GDT fans everywhere.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS