With a mix of romance, carnage, and theatrical song-and-dance, Maggie Gyllenhaal offers her take on the Bride of Frankenstein, first introduced in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein.”
Set in 1930s Chicago, “The Bride!” follows the rebellion of a murdered young woman who is brought back to life by a groundbreaking scientist as the companion for Frankenstein’s monster. Gyllenhaal was inspired to make the film after watching James Whale’s 1935 classic, “Bride of Frankenstein,” and realizing the titular character lacked a voice of her own.
We’re first introduced to Mary Shelley (Jessie Buckley) in a cold open, existing in a black void, bathed in dramatic, high-contrast lighting. Following her opening monologue, we eventually cut to a nightclub to find Ida (also Buckley) at a table with low-level gangsters. It’s not long before Ida, possessed by the ghost of Mary Shelley, gets kicked out of the nightclub and thrown down a case of stairs to her demise.
We’re then introduced to Frankenstein’s monster, Frank (Christian Bale), who seems to be the character of the hour, considering Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Netflix adaptation starring Jacob Elordi. In the pursuit of companionship, Frank approaches Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to make a wife for him, and after a bit of convincing, she obliges. The pair breaks into a grave site, digs up Ida’s corpse, and takes her to Dr. Euphronious’s lab—notably carried up by Frank via staircase, the very thing that left Ida six feet under to begin with. A moment later, the Bride is born.
To no one’s surprise, the Bonnie and Clyde-coded monster couple almost immediately find themselves in trouble with the law. Here is where we’re introduced to detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard, husband to the director) and his “secretary” partner Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz). Unfortunately, here is also where we start to lose the plot.
While Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein proves to be a unique break from Mary Shelley’s original novel—containing classic film noir-esque car chases and Golden Age Hollywood-inspired dance numbers—”The Bride!” is bloated with subplots that create a messy narrative. In addition to that of the detective’s, there’s also a subplot following the mob’s organized crime, another following Frank’s obsession with Hollywood movie star Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal, brother to the director), and a fourth following the Bride’s rage-fueled feminist uprising.
Now it is worth noting that Gyllenhaal did her homework, which, to her credit, adds a layer of complexity to the film. In an interview with “Comic Book Resources,” she confirms she included the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in her adaptation as it’s featured in Mel Brooks’ 1974 film “Young Frankenstein.” Still, there comes a point where Mary Shelley’s constant name-dropping of literary icons feels rather excessive, just as the Bride’s exclaiming, “Me too!” in reference to the movement feels a bit too on the nose.
Hobbling on the run together, hand in hand, both Buckley’s and Bale’s performances are commendable for their committed physicality, as are the film’s prosthetic makeup and costuming for their astute attention to detail. But in the end, Gyllenhaal’s ambitious reimagining misses the mark.
Ironically, “The Bride!” is filled with high-level emotions that it doesn’t quite know how to punctuate.
Featured Image: (L to r) Chrisitan Bale as Frank and Jessie Buckley as The Bride in Warner Bros. Pictures THE BRIDE! | Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Taylor Graham is a student at Columbia University, majoring in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Political Science. She has reported for numerous publications, including the Valencia Voice, Glitter Magazine, and Heritage Radio Network, and is currently the 150th Arts and Culture Editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, one of the oldest college newspapers in the nation. With a passion for storytelling in the digital age, Taylor covers all things entertainment, from film and television to media and pop culture, interviewing professional actors, musicians, and content creators alike. When she’s not writing her next film review or feature story on an emerging artist, Taylor can be found playing tennis, reading literary fiction, or thrift shopping in NYC.