The Bride! - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, (in only her second feature after The Lost Daughter), reimagines The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Jessie Buckley - The Bride/Mary Shelley

Christian Bale - Frank

Peter Sarsgaard - Det. Jake Wiles

Annette Bening - Dr. Cornelia Euphronius

Jake Gyllenhaal - Ronnie Reed

Penélope Cruz - Myrna Malloy

Zlatko Burić - Lupino

Summary

In order to tell the story she wanted to after Frankenstein, Mary Shelley in the afterlife possesses a woman called Ida in 1936 Chicago, who in a trance reveals the criminal activities of mob boss Lupino.

She's killed after Lupino's henchmen push her down a flight of stairs.

Elsewhere, Frankenstein (having taken his father's name), visits Dr. Euphronius for her to create a companion for him, and only agrees because "Frank" thinks she's a mad scientist.

"This is an emergency. SOS, fire, fuck!"

(Laughs).

They exhume Ida's body and revive her.

Although resistant at first, she believes Frank's yarn that she was with him in a previous life.

And so begins a crazy road trip across America, with murderous exploits attracting the attention of Det. Wiles and his assistant Myrna Malloy.

Loneliness is agony

Well, this definitely left its 'mark', largely a dirty one.

Buckley and Bale are basically a version of Bonnie and Clyde and hot mess would've been terrible if it wasn't for them.

Heck, even one of Lupino's henchmen is called Clyde, who according to Ida, has a cock the size of a belly button.

Leading lady's dual role is a direct nod to Elsa Lanchester.

Frank watches Revolt of the Zombies at the cinema, which is the same principle as Jean Reno in Léon enjoying It's Always Fair Weather (1955).

Another film apparently referenced is True Romance (1993), as Mary Shelley influences Iris, a la Elvis and Clarence.

Ida and Frank take it in turns killing people and approach becomes repetitive.

Still, dance routines are appropriately batshit.

At one point, Frank gets a tattoo. Sure, whatever.

Although not an official adaptation, I'd recommend Yorgos Lanthimos' far superior Poor Things (2024).