Description
Frankenstein is over a century old, but he’s still lonely and dreaming of a companion. He needs The Bride! To get one, he visits Dr. Euphronius, asking her to create a woman for him. She agrees, and together they revive a dead girl — thus the Bride, played by Jessie Buckley, is born.
This is an author-driven reimagining of the classic Bride of Frankenstein by Maggie Gyllenhaal (sister of Jake Gyllenhaal). Once a renowned actress (Donnie Darko, The Dark Knight), she’s now a director. Her debut feature The Lost Daughter (2021) brought her critical acclaim, multiple awards, and nominations.
We don’t know if we’ll ever see a director’s cut, but according to Maggie, it exists. What hit theaters is a hybrid of her original vision and the studio’s desire to make a film “for everyone.” As a result, it’s, to put it mildly, underwhelming. Sure, the film is original and occasionally beautiful, but it’s hollow and emotionally flat. The dramatic core feels either underdeveloped or heavily trimmed.
It turned out so bland that I struggle to believe even a three-hour director’s cut could save it. So even if it ever releases, I have little desire to watch it.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! suffered the same fate as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: expensive, ambitious, but empty.