Let's Discuss Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro, 2025)

Guillermo del Toro has a new rendition of “Frankenstein” (out Oct. 17 in theaters and Nov. 7 on Netflix)!

Please watch the movie in advance so that we can discuss it together at the Whole Foods Cafe on Lane Ave, Upper Arlington. Some of us will hopefully be able to go and see it together at the AMC theater in Dublin the Wednesday before this meetup (please see the other event posting for this outing).

Guillermo del Toro is known for the amazing and unusual monsters/creatures in his films, and this one is sure to be spectacular as well!

From a recent article in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/movies/frankenstein-guillermo-del-toro-monster-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.mU8.Z77h.8R3iifDbzMbJ&smid=url-share):

"Previous movies and onscreen interpretations, he pointed out, often just show Victor robbing graves to acquire body parts, then suddenly the creature is complete.
'I wanted to detail every anatomical step I could in how he put the creature together,' del Toro said. 'There is a personality to the way he put together this creature.'
It’s a sequence that veers from the expected visuals of thunderstorms, diagonal shadows and silhouettes. Instead, this Victor is akin to a performer and his monster’s construction is shot as a concert might be. 'It’s like you’re watching Leonard Bernstein conduct an orchestra,' del Toro said. 'This is not the most horrifying moment in the movie, it’s the most joyous.'"

We will discuss this particular rendition of "Frankenstein" as well as our thoughts on del Toro's monsters/creatures over the years, so if you want to check out any of his other films in addition to this one, or think about those you've seen in the past, most are very interesting and that would be helpful.

This pick will hopefully piggyback nicely with our October 19th discussion on "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Gods and Monsters." We will all be able to write a college-level paper on Frankenstein by the end!

Feel free to arrive early to pick out your dinner at Whole Foods Upper Arlington and bring your selections to the cafe area, where we will get started with our discussion at 6:30 PM.