LISA FRANKENSTEIN (2024) Review
Directed by Zelda Williams
I know it’s kind of dumb when people say you have to be familiar to certain movies to get the other movie. But in this case, it kind of makes sense. But you’re still going to get the story of the film or the characters’ motives are. It’s just you will get the Lisa Frankenstein’s dark humor more if you’re familiar with Diablo Cody’s works.
It felt refreshing because the scenes aren’t overdone with the acting and scoring. But it’s a campy film. Does that make sense? But it’s a Diablo Cody script, so it really didn’t need to make sense.
Lisa Frankenstein is smart, funny, twisted and very entertaining. It is a fun and more grounded take on romancing with the undead with all the uncomfortable realities on the side.
I like how the film wanted a straightforward and grounded approach to a genre that has usually high energy and is overly decorated with music and performances. You get to feel it real and raw, like ‘okay, this is fiction but this is probably what’s going to happen if it became real.’
But this wouldn’t work if not for its actors. Kathryn Newton covered the whole jaded teenager who is both confused and curious of the events that suddenly happened in her life. Cole Sprouse’s character may need less effort in terms of acting but it looks like he’s having fun playing The Creature. And what an impressive Hollywood debut for Liza Soberano. It’s as if the character was written to showcase her acting range that never showed yet.
The film is weird AF. It’s not the cute love story you would expect but it’s also not conventional in a way that it’s too predictable. But it stayed true to its characters which made the story believable, in a way.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas from Universal Pictures Philippines. Rated R-13 by the MTRCB.