6 Frankenstein Movies to Watch While You Wait for Poor Things

Jan 18, 2024

Published

on

By

Have you ever had a vacation so iconic that people are still talking about it over two centuries later? Mary Shelley sure did, with her infamous getaway alongside Percy Shelley, John Polidori, Claire Clairmont and their host Lord Byron resulting in some of the most influential genre fiction of all time. And while Byron's Darkness and Polidori's The Vampyre have their merits, it's pretty clear that Frankenstein remains the most enduring product of that fateful literary holiday.

That's why it's no surprise that we’re still seeing fresh adaptations of The Modern Prometheus well into 2023, with Yorgo Lanthimos’ Frankenstein inspired Poor Things proving that there are still new ways of exploring the tragic horror of Shelley's immortal yarn. And with so many great adaptations to choose from, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six of the best modern Frankenstein retellings for your viewing pleasure.

For the purposes of this list, we’ll be considering any Frankenstein film that attempts to update the Victorian story for contemporary sensibilities as a modern retelling even if the movie itself was produced decades ago.

As usual, don't forget to comment below with your own favorite Frankenstein retellings if you think we missed a particularly good one.

Now, onto the list…

6. Frankenstein (2004)

Originally meant to be a pilot for a un unproduced television series, USA Network's Frankenstein had a lot going for it. Produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Marcus Nispel (who previously helmed 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake), the TV movie was supposed to be a collaboration with acclaimed genre writer Dean Koontz until the troubled production led the author to abandon the project and adapt his ideas into a series of novels instead.

While the finished film isn't exactly a masterpiece (with the script's origins as a pilot resulting in a haphazard finale), there's still a lot of fun to be had with this stylish little murder mystery. It also boasts a great cast, featuring everyone from Parker Posey to Michael Madsen as it tells the story of a New Orleans detective who teams up with one of Frankenstein's creations in order to take down his fellow monsters.

5. Frankenhooker (1990)

One of the most underrated directors of his generation, Frank Henenlotter is the master of high-quality schlock. From Brain Damage to Basket Case, you know you’re in for a wild ride when you step into a Henenlotter picture, and that's exactly why Frankenhooker makes it onto this list despite only loosely adapting Shelley's original idea.

Sure, the story of a mad scientist attempting to rebuild his fiancé from dead hooker parts is decidedly goofy and in bad taste, but there's a surprisingly poignant message behind the blood, guts and sexual innuendo here. Hell, even Bill Murray promoted the film back in the day, saying that "if you see one movie this year, it should be Frankenhooker"; and I’m not about to argue with Dr. Venkman.

4. Frankenstein vs Baragon (1965)

Some films speak for themselves, and that's definitely the case with 1965's Frankenstein vs Baragon. Directed by Ishirō Honda (who previously helmed the original Godzilla), FvB tells the story of Japanese Imperialists who acquire the heart of Frankenstein's Monster from the Nazis and experiment on it during the Second World War. Unfortunately, their research compound is located in Hiroshima and is promptly destroyed by America's nuclear attack. 15 years later, a feral boy is found amongst the ruins, with scientists discovering that this miraculous child is resistant to radiation and can grow to an enormous size. Naturally, this leads to a fight between gigantic monsters as the growing child must face a burrowing dinosaur that puts all of Japan in danger.

If that batshit crazy plot summary isn't enough to convince you to seek out this forgotten Toho gem, I don't know what will. Just be prepared for plenty of rubber suits and miniatures as the reborn Frankenstein is reimagined as a budding Kaiju.

3. Monster Squad (1987)

Fred Dekker's Monster Squad isn't exactly a retelling of Mary Shelley's opus, only featuring her iconic creation as one part of a larger monstrous ensemble, but the film still boasts one of the best modernized versions of the character (as well as the rest of Universal's classic monsters).

In fact, the flick makes it onto the list because the so-called Monster actually decides to aid the titular squad instead of joining Dracula's evil gang, making him one of the protagonists of this cult classic piece of gateway horror.

And here's a fun fact for you: Monster Squad's incarnation of Frankenstein's Monster was brought to life by Tom Noonan, who had previously played the monstrous Francis Dolarhyde/Red Dragon Killer in Michael Mann's Manhunter!

2. Frankenstein (2015)

While horror fans mostly remember him for 1990's Candyman, Bernard Rose has directed quite a few memorable films over the years. One of my personal favorites of his genre output is his 2015 reimagining of Frankenstein, a monster-focused drama which leaned heavily into the tragic elements of Shelley's somber tale.

The film's reliance on soap-opera-esque melodrama means that it's not exactly everyone's cup of tea, but even the harshest critics have to admit that the passionate direction and memorable performances (courtesy of a talented cast including the likes of Carrie-Anne Moss, Danny Huston and Xavier Samuel as our lead character) elevate this familiar story to a genuinely emotional piece of filmmaking.

1. Depraved (2019)

We’ve already raved about Larry Fessenden's reinvented monsters in the past, but the New York director remains unmatched when it comes to adding genuine human pathos to what could easily have been run-of-the-mill creature features. This is best exemplified by his Frankenstein adaptation Depraved, which adds a whole new level of tragedy to the story by focusing on the difficulties of raising a monstrous "child".

Sure, the film is much sadder than it is scary (even more so than Bernard Rose's version), but the memorable finale makes it my favorite retelling of Shelley's story, modern or otherwise. And that's why I can't wait to see what Fessenden does with his updated take on the Wolfman in his upcoming Blackout.

Born Brazilian, raised Canadian, Luiz is a writer and Film student that spends most of his time watching movies and subsequently complaining about them.

‘Poor Things’ Trailer – Willem Dafoe Is an Arthouse Dr. Frankenstein in New Yorgos Lanthimos Movie?

‘Poor Things’ – Teaser Poster for Yorgos Lanthimos Movie Spotlights Emma Stone

‘Poor Things’ Teaser Trailer – Yorgos Lanthimos Puts His Wildly Unique Spin on ‘Frankenstein’!

Published

on

By

Now available on PC, and coming to consoles June 13, The Greyhill Incident takes place in a small town that resembles the cornfields and all around atmosphere of the town in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs. In fact, there are many comparisons between the two in the most awesome and frightening of ways.

You play as Ryan Baker and are in walkie talkie communication with others around the town who know something strange is afoot at the Circle K (Disclaimer: This is a Bill and Ted quote. There are unfortunately no Circle K convenience stores in the game). You’re all in agreement that the Government is lying and not to be trusted. Which is why you’ve all started this kind of nighttime neighborhood watch together. Things take a dark turn, of course, when the aliens show up and brazenly start abducting folks out of their homes. Including your own son.

You’ll experience the ground zero of an alien takeover of a small rural town in the middle of the night before embarking on tasks such as collecting tin foil to stop the aliens from reading your mind and finding nails to board up windows. Ultimately, you’re trying to find a way to rescue your son from the UFO that abducted him. All the while, attempting to stay hidden from the standard but still all too creepy thin, grey aliens. Which, in the darkness of the night, is not as easy as it may seem. The aliens are hard to spot. But when they spot you? They are just a little bit faster and very hard to shake. You can hide Friday the 13th: The Game style in various cabinets or trash cans but these aliens do not give up easily.

If you haven't truly shaken them when you hide? Consider yourself abducted.

It's not all pure horror with The Greyhill Incident, however. There's a lot of tongue in cheek alien humor in the game as well. Such as finding alien probes all over town and characters looking and sounding like True Detective era Matthew McConaughey on a three day acid bender.

The game is all too aware of alien culture in all the right ways, but it's also spot on about what's so scary about it all…

Screaming. Actual screaming. I scared my wife who was peacefully reading on the other side of the living room with my squawks of grown man terror. This is not hyperbole. Full Disclosure: If you haven't gathered by now, I am un-naturally scared of aliens. So, you may not have the same experience as I did. But I fucking yelped, guys. Sure, the screams were all from jump scares but I was honestly shaken for the first couple of hours I played the game.

The Greyhill Incident, while extremely simple, does an amazing job of tapping directly into my fear of aliens. It's so dark and foggy and menacingly peaceful in the rural countryside. Then, one of those little bastards spots you. The music disrespectfully kicks on like a knife fight in your brain. You jump. You turn around to run. ALIEN IN YOUR FACE. Walking that damn creepy walk with their arms always flat down on their sides and with the determination of Tom Cruise. Their big, judgy eyes. You turn away. ANOTHER ONE. Like DJ Khaled serving nightmares instead of hits. You try to run but you can't even see where you are going and have the endurance of a ninety year old who's been hanging with Snoop Dogg all day. And the aliens are just a smidge faster than you.

They inevitably catch up and I’m not even sure what they do to you (when they get a hold of you, after a moment it just says "You’ve been abducted") but they‘re all up in your face making the most skin crawling sound I’ve ever heard in my life. It's so freaky, it's actually annoying. I screamed SHUT UP like Arnold in Kindergarten Cop while simultaneously ripping out my headphones in fear-based frustration. It's like a hyped up version of the clicky-clack sound you hear coming from the walkie talkies in Signs.

The good news? You settle into it as it becomes more repetitive (I get caught by the aliens a lot). I stopped screaming like a seven year old at a Taylor Swift concert after the first hour. But there are peripheral scares as well. If you’re like me and haunted by the mere imagery surrounding alien stories then you will appreciate the freaky way a body contorts chest first towards a UFO beaming it from the safety of its home at night. Or the way an abandoned tractor's lights flash onto a field of skinned cows.

The sharp visual imagery of the cutscenes pairs perfectly with the accurately captured feeling of being alone on a farm at night surrounded by vast darkness. The two dance with glee in the pit of my stomach before….suddenly…..ALIEN IN YOUR FACE.

I’m not much of a gamer in comparison to most. So, in that spirit, this article is more about the fear The Greyhill Incident provides. I’ll leave the critique of the gameplay mechanic nuances to the more qualified. The Greyhill Incident as a whole is very simple and stripped down but that is not to say it's easy. I had a very hard time with certain aspects that require a lot of trial and error.

The AI of the aliens is extremely smart and there are no loopholes. Very often after you’re "abducted" and sent back to your checkpoint, the aliens will be in completely different places than before, making them very hard to predict. They’ll spot you from quite far away and not give up their chase easily. Others hear the noises from afar and join in. These were some of the smartest villains I’ve ever faced in a video game and it's infuriating but also challenging and realistic. Admittedly, I do wish there were a few more dynamics thrown in the mix. Once you’ve successfully hidden from the aliens and scooted through a level, it's kind of a punch in the stomach to realize you have to do it again right away. You have a bat (another Signs tip of the hat) but it is not very effective and must be timed perfectly. You acquire a gun but it's extremely rare you ever have any ammo. As scary as the aliens popping up was, I do wish the character had more to do throughout.

Ultimately, The Greyhill Incident knows exactly how to frighten the living shit out of those of us afflicted with the fear of aliens. There's tons of insider jokes for those who aren't scared but merely interested. Or even those who have just seen a few key alien flicks. It plays a little bit like a Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th if they were strictly narrative games rather than multiplayer. There's a fun spirit to the entire production and I’d love to see a more expanded version someday.

If my heart can take it, that is.