It’s alive! 

The constantly reproducing genre of classic novels turned box-office hits, including Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 “The Great Gatsby” and Greta Gerwig’s 2019 “Little Women,” is very much alive and thriving with its newest addition: Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” which was released Friday, Oct. 17, on Netflix. 

According to Variety Magazine, the film received 29.1 million views within its first three days of release on the streaming service with a $120 million budget. Additionally, according to Forbes, the movie reached number #1 in the English movie category on the platform, receiving a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Based on the classic novel written by Mary Shelley and published in late 1818, its latest adaptation to the big screen, or in this case TV screen, is a true testament that slightly steering away from a material’s origin can still create an impactful product. 

Through the division of the film into sections titled “Prelude,” “Victor’s Tale” and “The Creature’s Tale,” del Toro crafts a dynamic storyline that weaves together two timelines, past and present, and two perspectives, The Creature’s and Victor’s. Despite the shifting viewpoints, the plot remains easy to follow and keeps viewers engaged throughout.

The cinematography, featuring Victorian architecture and dark graphics, leans heavily into the Gothic-Romance imagery and tone portrayed by Shelley in the original tale, a popular genre during the time period it was written in.  

Just like the book, the film explores ex-doctor Victor Frankenstein’s turbulent journey in his attempt to “play God” by bringing his own monster to life. Although he is successful, the experiment is filled with backlash from creating an immortal creature that, instead of being a monster, is more of a child that yearns for human connection rather than harm to humanity. 

Rated R for bloody violence and grisly imagery, the film takes its gore and raw realism to a far and accurate extent that can’t be found in most movies. Although in most situations the level of gore can seem grotesquely realistic, the graphics add to the movie’s main plot point of humanity and morality. 

Shifting away from Shelley’s story, del Toro emphasizes how “The Creature’s” demeanor is that of a child who does not know the basics of living, rather than a monster like many modern renditions portray.  

Similar to the director’s Oscar-winning work “Pan’s Labyrinth,” both films explore themes of creation, isolation and morality, which are respectively developed through the use of fantasy aspects.

Del Toro’s compelling take on a classic story is notably worth the 2-hour-and-30-minute run time, which will alter previous perceptions of one of Halloween’s most profound mascots.