“History will bury you, Frankenstein. And no man will remember your name.”

Story: There once was a poor, abused hunchback who lived with a circus. But his mind was hale and healthy, and one day a man came to the circus and saw that. And decided to take him in…to help with experiments. *cue the Strickfaden machines*

Scares: Very few. Mostly suspense.
Splat Factor: Again, very few. Body parts, obviously. In various stages of life and un-life.

Subgenre: Action-heavy Re-imagining Of Classic Horrors
Year Released: 2015
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Based on the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Trick or Treat?: I never got to see this film when it hit theaters. I meant to. Just as I’d been meaning to catch it “one of these days”. So now that I’ve seen it? Well, it’s fun. Think of a blending of blockbuster and B-movie, and you’ll get the gist. This Frankenstein is an easy watch on a day when you’re in the mood for a big bowl of popcorn, a bit of horror, and lots of histrionics.

A mix of the rollicking buddy-bro sensibility of Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes and the over-the-top lunacy of Stephen Sommers’ Van Helsing. There’s a gritty, edgy Victorian era vibe here that blends well with these other films. The set design and art direction are a glorious mess, keeping in line with the messiness of our titular character’s particular brand of crazy.

McAvoy is delightfully unhinged as the single-minded Victor. The back and forth between McAvoy’s Victor and Andrew Scott’s religion obsessed Inspector Turpin is worth the price of admission right here. The back-and-forth of two people who are insane due to their own individual demons. The loss of a family member, and religious obsession. But it’s the incredible talent of Daniel Radcliffe as Frankenstein’s “partner” Igor that really lifts this film from yawn-inducing copying of prior films into something worth paying attention to. Radcliffe’s emotional range shows us a complex character, and so we look for complexities all around him. And we find them; the rest of the cast definitely echoes his performance, but as the actual lead in this film? Radcliffe is our lens, and he takes us with him through all the craziness.

Need more? Charles Dance plays Victor’s dad. Freddie Fox plays Finnigan, the requisite toff. And Mark Gatiss is Finnigan’s lackey Dettweiler. Seriously, this cast is stacked with theater pros, and they all bring their very best. Special shout-out to Downton Abbey‘s Jessica Brown as Igor’s ladylove, Lorelai. Brown could have played this character as a wide-eyed innocent, but instead Lorelai has agency, and intelligence. It’s a nice change from the damsels we’re used to seeing in early-to-mid 20th century horror classics.

Think of this film as somewhere between Ritchie’s Holmes and Van Helsing. There’s plenty of thrills, some fun banter here and there, and lots of crazy action-horror shenanigans. It’s not fine horror cinema – c’mon, that’s what A24 and Neon are for – but it’s a fun Sunday afternoon joint.

Score: 3.5 out of 5 pumpkins.