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Guillermo del ToroThe latest Frankenstein film premiered in Netflix Last week. The acclaimed director has stated that the film, which stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as his monster, was his lifelong passion.
This adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel once again explores the story of a scientist who successfully revives a corpse, and the tragic events that follow. Now that the exploits of Victor Frankenstein are the talk of the town once again, I’d like to take some time to turn your attention away from all the films depicting this creature and to highlight one of my favorite adaptations of the famous monster tale.
There are a ton of movies that focus on the mad scientist and his creation, but there’s only one TV show that fits this list — and if you ask me, it’s still one of the best gothic shows. Horror series Coming to the small screen: Penny Dreadful. If you haven’t watched the series before, I highly recommend you check it out Paramount Plus And add it to your watchlist now.
Rory Kinnear stars in Penny Dreadful.
Named after Penny dreadfuls – serialized fantasy publications that were popular in 19th-century Britain, and which cost a penny per issue – the horror series, created by John Logan, has been on television for more than a decade. One could easily describe the show as if the X-Men or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen centered around characters taken straight from the horror literature of the era.
Penny Dreadful has an excellent cast: Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Billie Piper, Harry Treadaway, Josh Hartnett and Reeve Carney at the top of their games. What other title, apart from 1987? Monster Squadbringing together the likes of Dracula, the Wolfman, Dorian Gray and Dr. Henry Jekyll to fight the forces of evil? I can’t think of anything.
Victor Frankenstein is here too. And so is the monster that gives him life. Actor Rory Kinnear fills the gigantic stature of Frankenstein’s creation; His performance is brutal, compassionate and utterly beautiful.
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When you think of Frankenstein, Boris Karloff’s performance is probably the one most people think of. Since he appeared on the big screen in the original Frankenstein film, released by Universal Pictures in 1931, the legend of the lumbering creature has persisted throughout popular culture for nearly a century. But if you look at Mary Shelley’s description of Frankenstein’s monster, you’ll see dramatic differences in how he was portrayed throughout this time.
Like Elordi’s handling of the monster in del Toro’s most recent film, Shelley wrote of the creature as highly intelligent with shiny black hair, pearly white teeth, large eyes, and straight black lips.
You won’t see him like this in many titles, but that’s how he’s portrayed in Penny Dreadful. Victor Frankenstein’s creation, as the audience has seen before, is a monster who has the potential to do good but turns to the proverbial dark side, driven by the painful loneliness brought about by the absolute otherness of his existence. He is confined to the shadows and shunned by society. It is a fitting reflection of its maker, a tortured outcast, in his own right.
Rory Kinnear stars in Penny Dreadful.
The monster is referred to as Caliban in the show, but the reanimated corpse eventually takes on the name John Clare, after the English poet, signifying the civilized and sophisticated identity the monster longs to embody.
Keener’s performance of the character carries a wealth of emotional power that cuts to the bone and tugs at the heartstrings. There’s a reason he took the name of a poet, as we see his penchant for beauty, empathy, and compassion, as he strives for the one thing that makes us all human: connection.
But as much as he strives for love, Caliban carries violence with him wherever he goes. It’s a visceral thrust that makes this iteration of Frankenstein’s monster unexpected, dangerous, and relentlessly worthy.
Yes, when I first watched Penny Dreadful, I was rooting hard for Caliban to become John Clare, mind, body, and soul. His sojourn to find agency lasts for three seasons, and the conclusion to his character’s story is one of the most satisfying elements of the series. This left a lasting impression on me, as whenever Frankenstein came up in conversation, I would immediately jump in and ask, “Have you seen Penny Dreadful?”
Well, did you? Because if the answer is no, consider this a call to action. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a remarkable achievement in horror cinema and a beautiful portrayal of Mary Shelley’s monster. I admire Karloff’s work, but Keener’s depiction is my favorite version of the monster. When it comes down to it, no other title, in my opinion, goes the gothic distance further than Penny Dreadful.