Following Jacob Elordi’s whole Frankenstein moment, we now have The Bride!, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
I’m sorry, but why is this not an October release? A gothic Frankenstein love story, and you drop it outside spooky season? Also, two Frankenstein movies within six months is too many.
The Bride! is a gothic romance starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penelope Cruz. It draws inspiration from the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein movie, which was based on Mary Shelley’s novel.
This version is set in 1930s Chicago, where Frankenstein’s monster asks Dr Euphronius to create him a companion. They bring a murdered woman back to life, and what follows is romance, drama, chaos, and social change.
There are some really strong feminist themes in the film, mixed with what feels like a Getaway Car-style love story between Frank and the Bride. Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale give genuinely incredible performances. The film takes a classic monster tale and turns it into something chaotic and destructive.
As the film goes on, it becomes increasingly unhinged. What starts as a simple desire for companionship spirals into rebellion, chaos, and somewhat tragedy.
Sometimes there’s definitely a lot happening. There are also musical and dance elements, which add moments of lightness while still pushing the story forward.
Jessie Buckley is actually insane in this role, in the best way! Her performance is scary, and she stole the show. Every look, every twitch, every line delivery, it all builds this Bride who is angry and emotional and loud and intense.
Christian Bale, on the other hand, plays Frankenstein with deep, aching loneliness. You feel it in his posture, movements, and eyes. He genuinely believes creating a companion will fix his emptiness.
Their scenes together? Electric, fiery, addictive, unstable. It’s kinda a love story, but one filled with fear and LOTS of violence.
The side characters were okay. Jake Gyllenhaal on screen lowkey irritated me for no particular reason.
One random thing I noticed, though, was that the Bride’s black lip/face/tongue makeup wasn’t consistent throughout. Sometimes it faded, sometimes it wasn’t fully black. Small detail, but I clocked it.
Overall, The Bride! is chaotic, passionate, and shocking. It’s a twisted romance about two damaged beings who genuinely match each other’s freak. And while it may leave you disturbed, especially with the gruesome scenes and the excessive tongue moments, it’s bold.
