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Film: The Bride!
Year: 2026
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Writer: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale and Penélope Cruz
Review:
This is a film that the more I heard about it, the more intrigued that I got. When I heard that Maggie Gyllenhaal was going to write/direct a take on The Bride of Frankenstein, I was curious as to what she’d do. These Universal Classic remakes are hit and miss for me. Then I learned that Jessie Buckley was going to be the Bride, that added to it. I was able to catch this in the theater on opening night at the Gateway Film Center and I’m making it a featured review.
Synopsis: in 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein (Christian Bale) asks Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman known as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest and radical social change.
The film opens with a shadowed Mary Shelley (Buckley) in limbo, who decides it's time to reveal the untold parts of her work, which she couldn't express due to the era. She possesses Ida (Buckley), who is drunkenly at a restaurant with James (Matthew Maher) and Clyde (John Magaro), amongst others. Shelley’s possession causes Ida to lash out, partly at the mobster Lupino (Zlatko Buric), who then orders her death.
This then shifts over to the institute belonging to Dr. Cornelia Euphronius. Waiting on her is Frankenstein’s Monster. She is intrigued by him and asks him to stay to run tests. It is then during their interactions that he reveals why he’s here. She is the closest living person to the work that his creator has done. He wants her to bring a mate back from the dead for him. There are disagreements, but ultimately, she agrees. They go to a cemetery and dig up a pauper’s grave, one belonging to Ida.
Frankenstein has second thoughts as the experiment approaches. When Ida wakes up, she is then referred to as the Bride. She doesn’t remember much from her past. She wants to go out and have fun, to which Frankenstein is happy to escort her. They go to the movies, where they’re kicked out due to being loud. This leads them to a seedy night club where they encounter men working for Lupino. Frankenstein steps in to protect her, leaving the two dead. They then flee, catching a train to New York City.
The detectives investigating what happened are Myran Molloy (Penélope Cruz) and Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard). They're on the trail, with Myran noticing a pattern. Frankenstein is a massive fan of an actor, Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal). This helps give them a place to start and a way to track them. There is something that no one is expecting. The Bride’s crimes are inspiring women to fight back against the patriarch, creating a revolution that could change everything.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. I highly recommend seeing this visually amazing film in theaters. However, if you prefer a version closer to the 1930s movie or the novel, avoid this, as it is Maggie Gyllenhaal's unique, fantastical interpretation of the material, blurring the lines between reality for the viewer and the characters. I appreciate her vision.
Now that I’ve set that up, let’s look at Buckley's characters which are fascinating. Ida, possessed by Shelley pre-mortem, exhibits Exorcist-like outbursts upsetting Lupino and contributing to her death. Ironically, her grave is chosen for the experiment. Ida's free spirit translates to the Bride. Buckley seamlessly transitions between these three variations, capturing the stressful volatility of the character's thoughts.
I want to then shift focus to Frankenstein, blurring the lines of Shelley's novel with a seeming basis in realism, suggesting a real doctor performed the experiment and adding a meta-element. Lonely, Frankenstein seeks out Dr. Euphronius for help creating a Bride. As the time for the experiment approaches, fear of rejection (a core plot point of the original), grows for him. Though initially uninterested, the Bride falls in love with Frankenstein as they escape, which is heartwarming yet unsettling due to her quick change of heart.
The film explores toxic masculinity, a subject that may deter some viewers. Frankenstein exemplifies this by hiding the truth from the Bride, seemingly caught in the moment, wanting to preserve their relationship. Detective Wiles shows a similar trait but uses it more for personal gain. The most egregious examples are Lupino and the police, who largely ignore Myran until Jake intervenes. How it is handled here is realistic and well done in my opinion.
I’ll then just finish out with other themes that would include exploring dynamics of power, identity and the female experience. There is a great element of the Bride quoting Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener, which I believe I read in high school. The Bride uses the line, ‘I would rather not’. She pushes for her agency and autonomy. The Bride inspires feminine rage and resistance. I also like that the Bride chooses to be Frankenstein’s companion. She isn’t here to cure his loneliness, except on her terms. These are well done.
Before moving from the story completely, I did want to look at the surreal elements when it comes to the ‘monsters’. There is a performance identity. Frankenstein is obsessed with Ronnie, the actor. He loves the dance sequences in this actor’s films. There’s a great scene where one happens but is it real. Reflecting, I do feel like there’s an element where the ‘monsters’ have performative identity vs. their true nature. It is funny, I debated with my friend Rob about this and how he points out that we wear ‘masks’, being the person that we are for that audience.
Let’s then look at the acting performances. I’ve already said how great Buckley and Bale are. They both bring such life and depth to their characters. It is interesting to reflect on how Frankenstein’s Monster is such a tragic figure. This brings that, but it makes them shades of grey with the crimes they commit to continue to be free. Bening, Sarsgaard and Cruz are also great for what is needed. I’d also say that Gyllenhaal, Jeannie Berlin, Magaro, Maher, Buric and the rest of the cast, including Julianne Hough and Olivia Luccardi round this out for what is needed.
All that is left are the filmmaking elements which excelled. The cinematography and framing effectively captured the Chicago and New York period with authentic sets and costumes. Surreal elements, like dance numbers and changing movie screen images, were enjoyable regardless of their reality. The effects were great, providing a realistic, natural Frankenstein look, similar to the 1994 version, with a subtle nod to the 1930s Bride. If there is CGI enhanced the visuals, they were handled well and the era-appropriate music perfectly fit the atmosphere.
In conclusion, Maggie Gyllenhaal has created a visually stunning and thematically rich reimagining of the classic Universal monster story. It excels due to the deeply committed performances by Buckley and Bale, who inject complexity and tragic shades of grey into their roles. By merging its 1930s setting with surrealist elements and a sharp exploration of modern themes—such as identity, autonomy, and toxic masculinity—the film successfully transforms the source material into a unique, fantastical commentary on the female experience. It is a bold, ambitious vision that, while not adhering strictly to previous iterations, offers a memorable, thought-provoking cinematic experience that I highly recommend.
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10