Overview

• The world premiere in Venice drew a rapturous response, with reports of a 14–15 minute standing ovation for the Netflix-backed feature.
• Initial critical reaction skews generally positive but divided, with Rotten Tomatoes hovering in the high‑70s as reviewers praise the visuals and question the scale and length.
• Jacob Elordi’s turn as the Creature is widely singled out as a standout, with several critics calling his performance revelatory, while Oscar Isaac’s Victor also draws notice.
• Del Toro framed the film as a humanistic drama rather than a horror allegory and said it is not about artificial intelligence, quipping that he fears “natural stupidity.”
• The film will open in select theaters on October 17 before debuting globally on Netflix on November 7 as part of the streamer’s awards push.