Venice 2025: First Reactions to Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN

The Venice Film Festival continues today, and reactions to some of the highly anticipated world premieres are hitting social media.

FRANKENSTEIN is written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel of the same name. It stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Lauren Collins, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz.

We all know the story: A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Frankenstein had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30th, 2025, it will be followed by a limited theatrical release on October 17th, 2025 and a global release on Netflix on November 7th, 2025.

Here are the first reactions out of Venice:

'Frankenstein' Review: Guillermo Del Toro's Dream Movie Is Alive ... ALIVE! ... With Oscar Isaac And Jacob Elordi Going All-In - Venice Film Festival https://t.co/KPvCqT6jFD
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 30, 2025

'Frankenstein' Review: Guillermo del Toro Transcends Horror in Emotionally Charged Take on Mary Shelley Led by Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi https://t.co/VyL84s8b5g
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 30, 2025

'Frankenstein' Review: Guillermo del Toro’s Dream Project Has Been Gestating So Long, the Master’s Creation Arrives Overstuffed and Unwieldy https://t.co/nwOHHTmiEa
— Variety (@Variety) August 30, 2025

Jacob Elordi brings a quiet watchfulness to this Frankenstein’s monster, and he becomes the soul of a movie that may not have had one without him.

Read our review for Guillermo del Toro's latest: https://t.co/eFhq4EXVug pic.twitter.com/mBZs5JJwRx
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) August 30, 2025

‘Frankenstein’ review: Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi spark in Guillermo del Toro’s operatic adaptation. by @TimGrierson https://t.co/oSHwkxbmx5
— Screen International (@Screendaily) August 30, 2025

Our @RagingBells reviews FRANKENSTEIN “in a century of cinema, not since James Whale’s 1931 original undertaking, has anyone successfully tapped into Shelley’s sentiments as Guillermo Del Toro’s ambitious rendering.” @netflix @RealGDT #Venezia82 https://t.co/8blQAWhJa4
— IONCINEMA (@ioncinema) August 30, 2025

#Frankenstein review: Guillermo del Toro's gory and glorious creation is a triumphhttps://t.co/5RJ3xXXfnw pic.twitter.com/O5IbsNPYWw
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) August 30, 2025

FRANKENSTEIN is one of Guillermo Del Toro’s triumphs. Electric, touching, violent, with a spectacular Oscar Isaac and a great Mia Goth #Venezia82 pic.twitter.com/iQlZWJXvZZ
— Rob at the movies (@RobAtTheMoviees) August 30, 2025

Guillermo del Toro is the master of misunderstood creature features which is why his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a match made in heaven.
Like Frankenstein’s monster, the pieces that shouldn’t work together - oddly do. There’s horror, there’s tender friendship,… pic.twitter.com/woDha4nsqe
— Luke Hearfield @ Venice (@LukeHearfield) August 30, 2025

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is all show and little substance – review https://t.co/Jcrh4FBNR4
— The Independent (@Independent) August 30, 2025

#Venezia82 📽️ Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth is the most compelling Netflix production of the year! 😇 Read our Venice review here... 🤩 👇https://t.co/xluaO2CT5x
— CinemaForever.net | Films don't end here! (@CinemaForever) August 30, 2025

Won't be for everyone, but I adored Guillermo del Toro's deeply affecting FRANKENSTEIN. Grand-scale storytelling that favors the romance and tragedy over the horror. Oscar Isaac great as always; Jacob Elordi a revelation. My @THR review from #Venezia2025 https://t.co/2VQE7GuiLQ
— David Rooney (@DavidCRooney1) August 30, 2025

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