Best Frankenstein Movies (November 2025)

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If you love horror, especially gothic stories, and enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s recent take on Frankenstein (perhaps you’re revisiting it for the tenth time!), you’re likely looking for more adaptations. No matter if you’re familiar with the original novel or just the movies, the story of Frankenstein is endlessly captivating. Here are our recommendations for the best films based on it.

What are the best Frankenstein movies as of 2025?

We’re putting together this list with the understanding that you’ve already watched the recent Netflix version – it would have easily been our top pick, but we wanted to highlight other Frankenstein adaptations. We also want to give a shout-out to the film about Mary Shelley’s life, and the incredibly funny parody, Young Frankenstein – you probably remember the famous tap-dancing scene!

Frankenstein (1931)

The 1931 film Frankenstein launched the wave of horror movies that followed for decades. Made by Universal Pictures – the studio that also brought us Dracula – it was based on a 1927 stage play by Peggy Webling. Surprisingly, Frankenstein actually showed more on-screen violence than Dracula. Despite being made in the 1930s, some viewers at the time might have found the film’s themes a little too suggestive.

James Whale’s Frankenstein tells the story of Dr. Henry Frankenstein, a driven scientist who wants to discover how to create life. With his assistant Fritz, he builds a creature from stolen body parts. During a stormy night, using a homemade lab and electricity, he succeeds in bringing it to life. However, a mistake is made – instead of using a healthy brain, the Creature receives the brain of a criminal. Once brought to life, Boris Karloff’s Creature causes a series of tragic events.

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Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

James Whale directs this sequel, which begins with Mary Shelley herself introducing the continuation of the story. Picking up right after the first film, we find Henry Frankenstein pressured by the strange and obsessive Dr. Pretorius to resume his experiments. Pretorius wants to create a companion for the Monster (played by Boris Karloff), who survived the events of the previous film and now wanders the land searching for meaning. As in the last movie, the Monster’s interactions with people – sometimes violent, sometimes surprisingly kind – are the heart of the story. The film balances moments of beauty and brutality, and the brief but iconic appearance of the Bride (Elsa Lanchester) solidifies its place as a classic in horror cinema.

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Frankenstein fully embraces the dramatic and romantic style of Mary Shelley’s original novel. Unlike earlier film versions that toned down certain aspects, this movie highlights the story’s sweeping emotional scope. It begins with the ill-fated Arctic journey of Captain Walton, presenting Victor Frankenstein’s story in a way that’s truer to Shelley’s book than most previous adaptations.

Kenneth Branagh stars as Victor Frankenstein, a man consumed by his desire to overcome death, leading him down a perilous path. Robert De Niro delivers a moving performance as the Creature, abandoned by Victor and left to wander the world seeking meaning. His journey reveals the complex nature of humanity, showcasing both its kindness and its capacity for cruelty.

The film was made in the 1990s, when visually impressive horror movies were popular, and was produced by Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope following the success of their film Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It features elaborate costumes and sets, a dramatic musical score, and performances that sometimes lean towards being overly emotional. While the movie received mixed reactions when it came out, it’s still remembered for being ambitious and staying true to the original novel. It might not appeal to all viewers, but it’s clear that it heavily influenced Guillermo del Toro’s later work.

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Gods and Monsters (1998)

Unlike most Frankenstein adaptations, this film moves away from Mary Shelley’s original story and even the creature himself. Instead, it focuses on the life of James Whale, the director who famously brought Frankenstein to the big screen. Based on Christopher Bram’s novel Father of Frankenstein, Gods and Monsters, directed by Bill Condon, portrays a reimagined version of Whale in his later years. Retired from filmmaking and living with a housekeeper who doesn’t approve of his lifestyle, the witty and still-spirited Whale (played by Ian McKellen) is grappling with memories from his past.

As he grapples with getting older and the feeling that his accomplishments are slipping away, Whale, a director facing his own mortality, becomes intrigued by his new gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser). Their unusual and complicated friendship is central to the film, and serves as a way to explore themes of death and the sacrifices made in the name of art – ideas that echo the story of Frankenstein. Gods and Monsters received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Ian McKellen and Best Supporting Actress for Vanessa Redgrave, and it won for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Frankenweenie (2012)

Before Tim Burton became famous with Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, he made a short, live-action film called Frankenweenie. This 30-minute movie was a heartwarming take on the Frankenstein story, about a boy who lovingly brings his dog, Sparky, back to life. Disney originally thought it was too frightening and put it away, but it later gained a dedicated following. Frankenweenie also showed off Burton’s unique style—a blend of spooky and playful elements—that would become a hallmark of his work.

Years after first imagining the story, Tim Burton, now a well-known stop-motion director, turned it into a full-length movie. Released in 2012, Frankenweenie is instantly recognizable as a Burton film, blending heartwarming moments with a playfully spooky atmosphere. It’s a tribute to the original Frankenstein and classic monster movies, but at its heart, it’s a joyful look at the power of a child’s imagination and the boundless curiosity that makes childhood so special.

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How we picked the best Frankenstein movies

With so many Frankenstein movies available, we focused on the most well-known films – those that closely follow the original novel, as well as a few that offer unique takes on the story.

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2025-11-18 00:49