“Lisa Frankenstein” is a great feature length debut from Zelda Williams, the daughter of Robin Williams, and a nice fun movie to sit down and enjoy.
“Lisa Frankenstein” follows Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) who after being traumatized by her mothers murder by an axe wielding maniac and her father remarrying grows fond of an undead Victor Frankenstein (Cole Sprouse). Together they embark on a murderous adventure together in the name of love and happiness.
This movie has a tone that many movies can’t seem to capture nowadays. It feels like it was pulled straight from the 80’s and has a vibe akin to something like “Weird Science”. There are a ton of easter eggs to classic films like 1902’s “A Trip to the Moon”, many classic Universal horror movies, and so much more. The grim nature of the movie is perfectly balanced with amazing comedy. The jokes are pretty corny, but they fit the vibe and create an excellent experience. Along with the comedy the story is also a fun twist on the classic “Frankenstein” story by Mary Shelley.
This movie doesn’t fall into the same pitfalls many movies fall into nowadays with darkly lit scenes that sometimes makes it hard to see what’s happening. The lighting is really great and makes an incredibly bright movie which helps with the vibe.
The performances are all around really great. They really capture the essence of 80’s teen comedies and distill it into a breezy 101 minutes. Kathryn Newton is very good as the main role and Cole Sprouse has amazing physical comedy as he has no lines for the majority of the movie. The supporting cast all play their roles very well with Liza Soberano and Carla Gugino being standouts.
“Lisa Frankenstein” is a very enjoyable movie. As long as you’re ok with some violence, gore, and blood you will love this movie for its comedy and story. Although it isn’t necessarily very memorable it is a breath of fresh air from the other movies released in the first two months of the year and an easy recommendation.
Directed by Zelda Williams
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, Carla Gugino
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 101 minutes
My Rating: ★★★★