Official Trailer
Rating: 6.2/10 | Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy | Runtime: 127 min
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin
I went into The Bride expecting a straightforward monster movie retelling. What I got was messier than that, which honestly works in its favor most of the time.
The setup is genuinely interesting. Frankenstein is lonely. He’s been around for a while, watching the world change around him, and he wants someone to share it with. So he tracks down Dr. Euphronious in 1930s Chicago and convinces him to help create a companion. They dig up a young woman who was murdered and bring her back to life. That’s where things get weird.
Jessie Buckley plays The Bride, and she’s fantastic in this. The character doesn’t speak for the first chunk of the movie, and Buckley conveys so much just through her face and body language. You can see her processing the world, trying to understand what’s happening to her, and slowly realizing that being alive again might not be the gift Frankenstein thought it was. Christian Bale plays Frankenstein, and he brings a desperate, almost pathetic quality to the role. He’s not a monster trying to be good. He’s just lonely and broken and willing to do bad things because he can’t stand being alone anymore.
The problem is the pacing. At 127 minutes, this movie drags in the middle. There’s a whole subplot involving Peter Sarsgaard’s character and some dark stuff going on in Chicago that just doesn’t land. I found myself checking the time. The first act and the last act are strong, but everything in between feels bloated.
What really stuck with me is how the movie handles The Bride’s agency. She’s created as a companion, as an object basically, but she very quickly becomes her own person with her own wants. She doesn’t owe Frankenstein anything just because he brought her back. That’s the real conflict of the movie, and it’s more interesting than any of the horror stuff happening around the edges. The stuff with Sarsgaard’s character and some of the gruesome body horror moments feel like they’re there just to remind you it’s a horror movie, but they don’t add much.
The 1930s Chicago setting is underused too. You get some nice production design and costumes, but the movie never really leans into the period or uses it for anything meaningful. It could’ve been set in any time period and worked the same way.
But here’s the thing. Despite all these issues, there’s something about this movie that stays with you. Buckley and Bale have real chemistry, even when it’s uncomfortable. You understand why these two damaged people are drawn to each other, and you understand why it can never work out. The ending doesn’t pull punches, and I respect that.
If you like weird takes on classic stories and don’t mind sitting through some slow parts to get to the good stuff, it’s worth watching. Just maybe temper your expectations. This isn’t a great movie, but it’s an interesting one. Have you seen it yet, or are you thinking about checking it out?
Where to Watch
Stream on: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, Crave, Claro tv+
Rent on: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex, CosmoGo, JustWatch TV, Fetch TV, Rakuten TV, maxdome Store, MagentaTV, Videoload, Freenet meinVOD
Buy on: Sky Store