33 Years Before Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro Delivered a Forgotten Horror Masterpiece

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Guillermo del Toro‘s highly anticipated Frankenstein is already being hailed as one of the best films of 2025. Featuring strong performances from Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, the movie solidifies del Toro’s reputation as a uniquely imaginative director. However, over thirty years ago, he first gained attention with a small-scale, very personal vampire film called Cronos.

Re-watching Cronos recently, it struck me how clearly it showed what Guillermo del Toro would become obsessed with throughout his career: how delicate life is, the struggles of change, and the line between living and dying. The film really builds its emotional impact through quiet, personal scenes, and it feels like a preview of everything he’d do with The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, The Shape of Water, and even his upcoming Frankenstein. With that new film on the horizon, it feels like the perfect time to revisit Cronos – it’s a fantastic movie that deserves to be talked about just as much as his more famous, beautifully gothic works.

Cronos Is Guillermo del Toro’s First and Most Underrated Film

Released in 1993, Cronos came as Mexican cinema was starting to gain recognition internationally, though it still lacked the funding of major Hollywood productions. Guillermo del Toro spent years writing the script and designing the complex Cronos device. Because he had a small budget and limited special effects options, he focused on creating a strong atmosphere, detailed practical effects, and a compelling emotional story.

Despite its flaws, the film was a critical success, earning several Ariel Awards and establishing Guillermo del Toro as a fresh, powerful voice in the horror genre. It also featured a young Ron Perlman – before his role in Sons of Anarchy – and uniquely included dialogue in both Spanish and English.

Despite being well-regarded by film enthusiasts, Cronos didn’t become a widely known horror classic. Released during a time when slasher and supernatural movies were popular, its slow pace and sad mood didn’t appeal to most audiences. Rather than using typical vampire clichés, Guillermo del Toro reimagined the mythology, portraying vampirism as a disease caused by an ancient, insect-like machine that sustains life through parasitic means.

Unlike typical vampire films, Cronos took a more artistic approach, focusing on themes of aging and dependence rather than sensational violence. It slowly built a dedicated fanbase, particularly among film scholars and those who later enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s other movies.

The story centers around Jesus Gris, an old antique shop owner, who finds a mysterious golden object made by an alchemist centuries ago. Once activated, the device fuses to his skin, making him young and energetic, but slowly taking control of his life. As it changes him both inside and out, he’s pursued by a wealthy, ailing man and his tough, aggressive nephew, portrayed by Ron Perlman.

The film’s emotional power comes largely from the connection between Jesus and his granddaughter, Aurora, who observes his changes with a deeply moving and silent understanding. The story feels like a sad fairy tale, focusing not on dramatic events, but on the painful experience of losing what makes us human.

Del Toro’s first feature film, Cronos, was a deeply atmospheric and thought-provoking horror movie that showcased the unique style he’d become known for. It proved his talent for blending gothic settings, compelling characters, and explorations of life, death, and meaning. While it didn’t immediately make a big splash, its impact on del Toro’s later work is clear – you can see the beginnings of everything he’d achieve in this early film.

Cronos Is the Perfect Glimpse Into Del Toro’s Evolution as a Storyteller

Looking back at Cronos, it’s clear that film was the starting point for everything Guillermo del Toro has done since. Even before he became famous with movies like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, he was already telling stories that beautifully mixed fantasy with very real human emotions. As a fan, it’s amazing to see the seeds of his signature style right there in his early work!

He didn’t see monsters as simple villains, but as reflections of human weakness. This perspective became a key part of his filmmaking style, showing up in almost everything he created.

With Cronos, Guillermo del Toro began exploring ideas he would later develop more fully in his films. One example is the idea of a monster we can feel sympathy for, first seen in the character Jesus Gris, whose turn into a vampire is more sad than scary. Del Toro returned to this theme in films like Hellboy, The Shape of Water, and Pacific Rim, consistently portraying creatures and outsiders with hidden beauty and complex emotions.

These movies often use monsters to represent those who are different, symbolizing how society rejects people or how individuals struggle with pain. The character of Jesus Gris, like many the director would create later, embodies someone torn between two worlds, desperately seeking connection despite his own failing body.

The film showcases what would become Guillermo del Toro’s signature style. The Cronos device, with its bug-like movements and sounds, hints at the detailed practical effects and creature creations he’d later become known for. This focus on tangible details, often created using animatronics and handmade props, demonstrates his early commitment to making things look and feel real.

Del Toro consistently focuses on detailed, physical creations, as seen in the complex robots of Pacific Rim, the ornate gothic buildings in Crimson Peak, and the intricate mechanical devices within Pinocchio.

Throughout Guillermo del Toro’s work, his debut film, Cronos, stands out as more than just his first project—it encapsulates the core of his artistic vision. The film’s focus on heartfelt emotion became a hallmark of his storytelling. Its dark, romantic style hinted at his future aesthetic preferences. And the sympathetic portrayal of its monster foreshadowed how he would approach creating creatures in all his subsequent films.

To truly understand Cronos is to understand how Guillermo del Toro’s style as a director has developed. Each of his later films builds upon, improves, or revisits the themes and ideas first presented in this subtle and wonderfully made first film.

Del Toro’s Body of Work Formed a Steady Path to Frankenstein

As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve always been fascinated by how certain filmmakers return to the same themes. For Guillermo del Toro, that story is definitely Frankenstein. It feels like the peak of a passion he’s had for over twenty-five years, and you can see the seeds of it in his earlier film, Cronos. He’s talked a lot about how Mary Shelley’s novel was his absolute favorite, and how it shaped the way he thought about monsters when he was a kid. It’s clear Frankenstein isn’t just a project for him, it’s something deeply personal.

He worked on adapting this project for many years, but didn’t fully begin until 2024, wanting to have total creative control.

To see why the character of Cronos is so important to Guillermo del Toro’s version of Frankenstein, it helps to consider the common themes between the two stories. Both center around a tragic figure—brought to life or altered in an unnatural way—who evokes the audience’s sympathy. Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of the Creature in Frankenstein carries on del Toro’s practice of giving monsters emotional depth.

Similar to the character Jesus Gris, the Creature experiences a repeating pattern of suffering, desire for connection, and forced isolation. This creates a striking contrast between his incredible strength and deep emotional fragility – a theme director Guillermo del Toro has consistently examined throughout his work, starting in 1993.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein isn’t just a retelling of the classic story; it builds upon it, echoing themes found throughout his other films. The movie unfolds in two main parts: one focusing on Victor Frankenstein, and the other on the Creature he creates. This choice of showing both sides reflects del Toro’s consistent belief that even monsters deserve empathy and respect.

Films like Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Frankenstein explore how fantastical elements can reveal a character’s inner world. In Pan’s Labyrinth, the magical realm offers emotional comfort to the main character. The Shape of Water shows a connection between a woman who can’t speak and a creature from the water, allowing them to communicate. And in Frankenstein, the story gains its emotional power by focusing on the Creature’s perspective.

The film’s portrayal of Victor Frankenstein continues director Guillermo del Toro’s established themes of troubled father figures, creators who make mistakes, and the dangers of unchecked ambition. Like characters in del Toro’s other works, Victor is shown as a flawed authority figure – his harsh upbringing, obsession with science fueled by loss, and violent methods all contribute to this pattern of destructive power.

Guillermo del Toro frequently shows how power structures can be damaging, as seen in films like Pan’s Labyrinth and Nightmare Alley. He often depicts these systems as corrupting and destructive, breaking the lives of those who are controlled by them. In Nightmare Alley, the character Victor, played by Oscar Isaac, perfectly represents this idea – he’s both a cruel leader and a person who suffers because of the system.

Guillermo del Toro’s film Frankenstein visually echoes his earlier work, Cronos. Both films showcase his preference for gothic architecture. His recurring themes of decaying bodies and wounds that change the body are first seen in the peeling skin of Jesus Gris in Cronos. And his dedication to realistic effects and detailed creature design builds on the innovative work he did with the Cronos device.

Guillermo del Toro’s version of the Frankenstein story draws heavily from European scenery, Catholic imagery, and a feeling of beautiful sadness. He first hinted at these stylistic choices in his film Cronos, developed them further in Crimson Peak, and fully brought them to life in his adaptation of Frankenstein.

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2025-11-30 03:40