In 2023, Netflix announced that it was producing a remake of The Bride of Frankenstein, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She wanted to film in New York, but Netflix suggested New Jersey for cost reasons; Gyllenhaal refused, and they split. The following year, Warner Bros. agreed to produce the film, specifically co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. Under the new deal, Gyllenhaal got more creative freedom while the studio fronted the bill. Filming began in March 2024 in New York City, with initial reports citing a $100 million budget. However, an early 2025 report noted that the budget was $80 million, significantly less than if Netflix produced it. While she had more creative control, Gyllenhaal had to cut some of the more violent scenes following negative test screenings. After premiering at the Empire Leicester Square in February 2026, The Bride! hit theaters the following March.
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Synopsis
In 1930’s Chicago, the Frankenstein monster (Christian Bale) visits the office of Dr. Cornelia Euphronius (Annette Bening) for help. Given her research in reanimation, he asks her to build him a bride that’ll cure him of his loneliness. She agrees, though instead of stitching it together, they exume the body of recently deceased Ida (Jessie Buckley). While they succeed in reviving her, she has lost all memory, which Frank tells her she had an accident. Now together, they go on a country-wide crime spree, killing police officers and anyone who gets in their way. Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz) follow their trail leading to New York. Meanwhile, local crime boss Lupino (Zlatko Burić) recognizes Ida as one of his girls and wants her dead. Will their love story end in tragedy, or will our monster live happily ever after?
Review
Much like its two leads, The Bride! feels cobbled together and haphazardly thrown together with tons of gusto. While parts of the film don’t quite work as intended, you can feel the passion and creativity put into it. Maggie Gyllenhaal had a story to tell, and Warner Bros. gave her the creative freedom to tell it. For starters, the performances are well done, with Jessie Buckley especially shining as the titular Bride. The two-time Oscar nominee exudes an infectious energy as she screeches and thrashes about with wild abandon. As a counter, Christian Bale excels as a sympathetic, morose monster who feels isolated and finds solace in movies. They have excellent chemistry together, and you want to see their fractured relationship work out in the end. Annette Bening and Jake Gyllenhaal are also fun, even if they don’t have much screentime.
Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz do a fine job performance-wise, but their characters feel too on-the-nose. The film has a strong feminist message that mostly feels subtle, but the dynamic makes the message more obvious. Cruz, cast as the more astute detective against Sarsgaard’s stereotypical Bogart-esque rogue, lacks subtlety, making the message more pronounced. There’s nothing wrong with trying to send a message with your movie, but telling a good story should take precedence. It doesn’t help that the detective subplot is less interesting than the main plot of two monsters on the run. Speaking of subplots, others don’t go anywhere, such as women adopting The Bride’s smear mark as a revolutionary symbol. We’re told that The Bride’s escapades are inspiring women to rise against their male oppressors, but nothing comes of it. To reiterate, I have nothing against a profeminist message, but you have to do something with it.
Despite my complaints, I still think the movie succeeds more than it fails, but it needed some fine-tuning. Going back to the positives, the production design is incredible, perfectly capturing the Art Deco aesthetic popular in the 1930s. It’s not surprising considering the production designer was Karen Murphy, who earned an Oscar nomination for her work on Elvis. Also, the cinematography by Oscar nominee Lawrence Sher is impressive, giving everything a grand scale that suits the operatic tone. Plus, the movie sneaks in some fun references to films like Young Frankenstein and even uses The Monster Mash. At slightly over two hours, the movie moves at a solid pace, though some scenes could’ve been shortened. Much like the monstrous lovers, the film is an amalgamation that is flawed but is brimming with energy. Overall, The Bride! isn’t perfect, but it’s an admirable effort that deserves commendation.
The Bride! is in theaters.
Where to watch The Bride! (2026)
