Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein will be available for streaming on November 7th. (Image Credit: @FrankensteinGDT)
Guillermo Del Toro's much-awaited Frankenstein received its world premiere on Saturday at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, garnering a deafening 13-minute standing ovation. The gothic retelling, which is in the festival's main competition, created a new record for the longest ovation for this year's edition.
By the time the credits rolled, the full theatre exploded in applause, and audiences kept cheering and clapping long after the film finished screening. Del Toro recognised the thunderous reception by waving to the audience and hugging the cast. Actors Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac, clearly overcome with emotion, were spotted crying while hugging each other on stage, according to Variety.
The reaction instantly puts Frankenstein in contention for the Golden Lion, the highest award of the festival. Del Toro already took home the honour in 2017 for The Shape of Water, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
An adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein explores ambition, ethics, and its grey shades of humanity. Oscar Isaac plays the hell-bent scientist who goes against nature to bring life into being, while Jacob Elordi acts as the doomed creature brought forth by his experiment.
Elordi’s performance in particular has drawn unanimous acclaim from critics following the premiere, with early reviews praising the emotional depth he brings to the iconic character.
Speaking to the press after the screening, Del Toro said, “Mary Shelley’s novel asks: what does it mean to be human? My movie tries to show imperfect characters and defend our right to remain imperfect.”
The director stressed that the film, while grounded in gothic horror, is a profoundly human story of enduring moral concerns.
ALSO READ: From Dating Apps to Red Carpets: Hollywood Celebrities Who Found Love Online
After its Venice premiere, Frankenstein will receive a limited theatrical release on October 17 and then will be available for streaming on Netflix on November 7.
The official logline states, "A brilliant but self-absorbed scientist revives a creature in a horrific experiment that ultimately destroys both creator and his tragic creation."
In addition to Isaac and Elordi, the movie boasts a powerhouse cast that includes Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz.
The film is produced by Guillermo Del Toro along with J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber, weighing further on one of the year's most highly anticipated films.
With its Venice victory and strong early response, Frankenstein is already being applauded as yet another Del Toro classic that weaves gothic spectacle together with deep emotional storytelling.
ALSO READ: BTS’ Jimin Reportedly Splits with Actress Song Da Eun During Military Service
