Dir. Zelda Williams (2024)
A young woman is obsessed with a dead man, and when he is brought back to life by a fortuitous lightning strike, they try to find love amongst the living.
I was sent a review copy of this film a while back and had a ton of fun talking about how amazing the 4K release was, but I never got the chance to actually watch the film until now. Lisa Frankenstein was one I meant to watch on release, but I'm glad I got the chance to check it out now because it's a whole lot of fun and a lot deeper than I expected. Purportedly in the same universe as writer Diablo Cody's previous film Jennifer's Body (according to the screenwriter herself) and with much the same kind of message, it's a fantastic film that had a lot of well-deserved buzz on release. It was right up my alley, and I'm glad to have been able to watch.
Lisa (Kathryn Newton) is lonely and unhappy, trying her best to live life with her new stepmother Janet (Carla Gugino) and her loving but misguided stepsister Taffy (Liza Soberano). She has two loves in her life: high school magazine editor Michael (Henry Eikenberry) and the long-dead "Creature" (Cole Sprouse). When the Creature is resurrected by a lightning bolt that strikes his grave, Lisa finally has the opportunity to turn her life around for the better with the help of her undead friend. As the pair attempt to rebuild the Creature out of body parts, things begin to get a little bit crazy.
With tons of references to Meliés, Pabst, and the foundations of Hollywood and horror as a genre, Lisa Frankenstein is a fantastically fun and endearing film. Diablo Cody is hugely underrated as a writer, and she really delivers with this one. It's also perfectly Cody, a commentary on women's issues under the guise of a horror comedy while excelling at both. Her pairing with director Zelda Williams is excellent, and Williams herself shows off a ton of range in this dark, moody, and atmospheric horror comedy. Lisa Frankenstein is like a Tim Burton film if he actually knew how to make good movies.
It's a clever film, and it's delivered to near perfection by the incredibly well-rounded cast. Kathryn Newton is as delightful as she always is, portraying Lisa as an introspective, horror-obsessed outcast, and Carla Gugino is likewise outstanding as wicked stepmother. Even Sprouse, who is forced to accentuate his performance with grunts and a stumbling gait is excellent, a surprisingly nuanced performance from the former child actor. One amazingly heartfelt scene, in which Sprouse and Newton do a piano duet of Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon, had me grinning from ear to ear.
The cinematography and the color scheme was amazing, filled with beautifully dark and neon setpieces that totally made the movie. The entire film is like a Lisa Frank notebook brough to to life, and it's wonderful. The soundtrack is 80's as all hell, but it manages to use some lesser known New Wave songs that fit perfectly with the film's aesthetics without running the risk of overplays. The fashion, likewise, is super dated and establishes the timeline to perfection, even though Williams and Cody never explicitly mention when the film takes place. It's a brilliant expository device that is subtle enough to not come across as hand-holding as so many nostalgic films tend to be.
I'm a big fan of Cody, and I'm always happy to watch whatever comes out of her head. Lisa Frankenstein fits perfectly in her filmography, and its introduced Zelda Williams as a new name to watch in directorial circles. It's fun, heartwarming, and dark as all hell, and it's a great modern(ish) retelling of the Frankenstein story, albeit with fewer villages and at least 50% more hair bands. I definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you're a fan of Cody's previous films. It's even better than I thought it would be.
Who this movie is for: Dark comedy fans, 80's nostalgia lovers, Bodybuilders
Bottom line: Lisa Frankenstein is a modern update on an old story, and it's told fantastically by screenwriter Diablo Cody. Director Zelda Williams does a phenomenal job in presenting a beautiful film filled with neons and camera tricks that are a blast to watch. Every part of this film works, from the acting to the cinematography, the soundtrack to the setpieces. This one is a big recommend from me, and it's streaming right now on Peacock for you to watch for yourself.
