Overview
- Since its early-November debut, the film has ranked among Netflix’s most-watched titles in multiple markets.
- Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth lead the cast in a reinterpretation that shifts emphasis to the Creature’s vulnerability.
- Critics widely praise the production design and score, noting deliberate homages to iconic works such as The Creation of Adam, Caravaggio’s Medusa and Las Meninas.
- Several reviewers argue the adaptation softens Mary Shelley’s moral ambiguity by making the Creature chiefly pitiable, aligning with Del Toro’s stated intent to humanize him.
- Other critiques target structural choices, including added characters, over-explanation and point-of-view inconsistencies, even as some essays describe the film as moving from horror toward moral tragedy.