Guillermo del Toro has finally brought his lifelong dream to the screen with his latest film, Frankenstein, now streaming on Netflix. But here's the twist: he believes four of his previous movies were already Frankenstein stories in disguise. Could it be that del Toro has been weaving Mary Shelley’s iconic tale into his work all along? Let’s dive in.
If you’re thinking, ‘Only four?’, you’re not alone. Del Toro’s entire filmography is steeped in themes of misunderstood monsters and complex father-son dynamics—the very essence of Frankenstein. In a recent episode of the Indiewire Filmmaker’s Toolkit podcast, he singled out Cronos, Mimic, Blade II, and Hellboy as the films most closely tied to Shelley’s masterpiece.
Take Cronos, del Toro’s debut feature. It’s not just a vampire story; it’s a tale of transformation and immortality, echoing Dr. Frankenstein’s quest. Jesús Gris, an elderly Mexican man, becomes a vampire not through a bite, but via a clockwork device created by an alchemist—a modern twist on Shelley’s mad scientist. Del Toro even gives Jesús a scar reminiscent of Boris Karloff’s iconic Creature. But here’s where it gets controversial: del Toro’s Frankenstein adds a gut-wrenching layer to the Creature’s torment—he’s immortal, doomed to a life of rejection and pain. In one heart-stopping scene, the Creature steals dynamite, begging for an end that never comes. This theme of eternal suffering is mirrored in Cronos, where the sun, a symbol of life, becomes a curse for the undead.
Mimic and Blade II explore the dangers of science unchecked. In Mimic, Dr. Susan Tyler’s genetically engineered insects evolve into man-sized horrors, a direct nod to the consequences of playing God. And this is the part most people miss: del Toro’s clash with Harvey and Bob Weinstein during production was so traumatic that he compared it to his father’s kidnapping. The result? A film that feels less like his vision and more like a studio compromise, with monsters portrayed as terrifying pests rather than majestic creations.
Blade II, on the other hand, is a smoother ride. Jared Nomak, a vampire infected with the ‘Reaper’ virus, becomes a Frankenstein-esque Creature, his father the true monster behind his suffering. Is del Toro suggesting that the real horror lies in the creators, not the creations?
Then there’s Hellboy, a character del Toro reimagined as an outcast, much like Shelley’s Monster. In the comics, Hellboy is a celebrity, but del Toro’s version is a lonely figure, hiding in the shadows and grappling with his identity. The father-son relationship between Hellboy and Professor Broom takes center stage, a theme del Toro would later explore in The Shape of Water and Frankenstein. But here’s the question: Did del Toro’s interpretation influence the comics, or was it the other way around?
Del Toro’s Frankenstein isn’t just a retelling—it’s a reimagining that challenges us to see the Creature in a new light. But what do you think? Is del Toro’s obsession with Frankenstein a stroke of genius, or has he stretched the analogy too far? Let’s debate in the comments!
