One of 2025’s most anticipated movies, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein promises to be a grand adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror novel, the likes of which we have never seen before. Starring Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as The Monster, Frankenstein premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in August 2025 to generally positive reviews.

Following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and being presented at the Busan International Film Festival, Frankenstein will have a limited theatrical release starting on October 17 (ideal for the Halloween season) before it becomes available on Netflix from November 7. Frankenstein also stars Mia Goth, Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz.

The trailers for del Toro’s monstrous masterpiece emphasize the production design and chilling atmosphere of the classic tale, as well as the two opposing sides to the story. Additionally, some reviewers appear to take note of the thematic shift that aligns with del Toro’s claim that Frankenstein is not a true horror movie.

On the red carpet at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for the movie’s Los Angeles premiere, del Toro explained to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline that “nominally and generically, [Frankenstein] is a horror movie,” but that “After 30 years of making fantasy films, you know they can be something on top of that.“ Check out del Toro’s additional comments below:

And I think this is a family drama in many ways. It’s about the very Catholic notion of fathers and sons, and the pain that we transmit from one to the next generation. So, there’s that sort of level of emotion. After 200 years, for the book and the story to still provoke compᴀssion and fear of crossing a boundary, those are things I think we innovated in a beautiful way.

Frankenstein has previously been talked about as being a movie about the father-son relationship between Frankenstein and his monster. The latest trailer emphasizes this with The Monster’s narration, revealing his response to being rejected by his creator. Yet the marketing overall still bears the trappings of a classic horror.

Del Toro’s confidence that they have “innovated in a beautiful way” is hopefully true, as it is exactly what this movie needs, being a more than 200-year-old novel that has been adapted time and time again — it needs to offer something fresh. Jack Wlaters, in ScreenRant‘s Frankenstein review, speaks to Isaac and Elordi’s chemistry, which should drive the core theme.

Del Toro raises questions about what the structure of a horror story exactly is, but he appears to have intended to explore multiple powerful themes relevant to many people’s lived experiences in this iteration. Critics are mixed on whether Frankenstein accomplishes this, but the fans will ultimately decide this movie’s legacy.