Del Toro's Frankenstein is a sumptuous take on a classic parable

Del Toro's Frankenstein is a sumptuous take on a classic parable With enthralling visuals and intense performances, this version of Mary Shelley's sci-fi tale reminds us to ask not only if we can create life, but if we can live with our creations, says Davide Abbatescianni Guillermo Del Toro has long been fascinated by the borderlands where science, myth and monstrosity meet. In his new film, Frankenstein, he turns at last to Mary Shelley's foundational text: the 1818 novel that many argue gave birth to both science fiction and modern horror. The result is visually sumptuous, performed with intensity and, at times, philosophically acute - even if its pacing and some design choices betray the heavy hand of Netflix, the film's financier. Shelley's story of Victor Frankenstein - a brilliant but reckless scientist who dares to bring dead matter to life - remains one of the most potent cautionary tales about the promise and peril of scientific ambition. In del Toro's film, Oscar Isaac plays Victor as a charismatic, obsessive figure whose wounds, both personal and intellectual, propel him into uncharted territory.