Horror is so back, baby.
Horror is historically panned by critics and snubbed by the Academy, even though it’s a genre of film that’s often doing the most subversive and interesting work. Horror, much like romance—another historically dismissed genre of both film and literature—reflects the time it’s created, and often serves as a time capsule of sorts of social fears and cultural movements.
This can be seen in the eighties, when the slasher movement reflected the subversive reaction to the Reagan administration and the rise of cultural conservatism and purity culture. And as far back as the twenties, German expressionism gave rise to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which is largely considered the first true horror movie and reflected the political and economical discontent that rose after World War I.
The German expressionism movement also gave rise to the first adaption of horror’s most famous monster, Dracula. While Nosferatu (1922) was an unauthorized adaptation, it’s still what many think of when they think of the famous Count. And the popularity of the film in America after it was illegally distributed following the court battle over the rights with Bram Stoker’s widow led to a sweep of new horror films from major film studios that capitalized on a thus-unseen genre.
And so we get the first adaptations of the Universal Monsters. The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, Dracula. And Frankenstein.
These are iconic features of horror cinema, and they’ve continued to be studied, adapted, and criticized to the modern day. And Hollywood seems to be back in its monster era. Nosferatu (2024) was a critically acclaimed hit that harkened back to that very first movie, both in tone and design while adding something new. And in 2025, Monster Maestro Guillermo del Toro came out with the creme de la creme of monsters: Frankenstein.
The movie was beautiful and lush and has even snagged a nomination for Best Picture, but where does it sit in the zeitgeist of Frankenstein adaptations, when there have been countless film, book, and TV adaptations to bulk out the list?
Let’s take a look at the top 5:
5. Frankenstein (1931)
The one that started it all. Directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the eponymous monster, this film had a lasting cultural impact. The image that many associate with the Frankenstein monster was born in this movie, though it bears little resemblance to the source material. It’s a good movie and the cultural impact cannot be understated, which is why it’s on this list at all. However, it only follows the original story of the novel with the barest details of ‘man creates monster.’ Beyond that, there are some incredible liberties that are taken with the plot and characterizations, so I wouldn’t suggest it for any AP English student who’s looking for help on his test.
4. Frankenstein: The True Story (1973)
Another adaptation that takes creative liberties with the plot—I would argue that the title of this one is egregious false advertising—but follows the spirit of the book more closely than the very first. This miniseries is beautiful, both in design and filming technique. The cast is incredible, with stellar performances from James Mason and Leonard Whiting, but I would argue that the strength of the film comes from the performance of the two female leads, Jane Seymore and Nicola Pagett. The story flips the original Frankenstein story on its head, making the creature a beauty-to-beast story rather than a monster risen from the dead, and it examines the selfishness of mankind in a way that many other adaptations have not.
3. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
I personally see this as one of the most underrated movies on this list. Critically mixed and underperformed at the box office despite earning out its budget, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh is a thought-provoking film about human selfishness and empathy towards the other. All monster films have this general theme, but I would argue that Branagh’s Victor is one of the most egregious examples of hubris, and what happens when you don’t consider the consequences of your own actions. Robert de Niro gives a soulful performance as the creature, and at the end of the film, you walk away not knowing whose side you were ultimately on.
2. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
James Whale returned to the director’s seat for this direct sequel to the 1931 OG. This one, oddly enough, while still taking many liberties with the original Frankenstein tale, actually follows many plot points from the book better than the first. This movie introduced the character of the Bride—played by Elsa Lancaster, who also portrays Mary Shelley in the film’s prologue—to pop culture, despite the character in question being destroyed before she saw the light of day in the book. Karloff’s performance is heartbreaking in this movie, and the Bride answers the question of what happens when a mediocre man—in this case, the film’s villain, Dr. Pretorius—tries to eclipse their predecessor, and is faced with devastating results.
1. Frankenstein (2025)
The most recent adaptation, and I would argue the best. I loved this movie. I think it deserves every accolade, and all critical acclaim. While this movie does take some liberties, I would argue that it remains true to the spirit of the story and the message that Mary Shelley was trying to convey better than any other adaptation thus far. Oscar Isaac is an incredible take on Victor—I hated him with a passion—but the standout performance of the movie is undoubtedly Jacob Elordi as the monster. Visually stunning and emotionally heartbreaking, this movie offers a subtext of forgiveness for ourselves, rather than the person who hurt you, and the hopeful ending as the Creature walks off into the sun suggests that life after abuse is not only possible, and ultimately necessary in order to heal.
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