Lisa Frankenstein Chops Up Other Movies for a Wild Zom-Rom-Com: Review

The post Lisa Frankenstein Chops Up Other Movies for a Wild Zom-Rom-Com: Review appeared first on Consequence.

The Pitch: It’s 1989, just before being Goth was a widely recognized lifestyle choice, but high schooler Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) is ahead of the curve there, often hanging out in the nearby cemetery to obsess over the grave of one particular young man, who died in the 1800s. Lisa’s been a little messed up for a while now, ever since the home invasion that led to her mother’s axe murder, and living with her distant father (Joe Chrest), her perky stepsister Taffy (Liza Soberano), and her ultra-critical stepmother Janet (Carla Gugino) definitely isn’t helping matters.

So, after a disastrous night at a party, Lisa makes a wish that she could be united with the deceased young man of her dreams… and with some help from a fortuitous lightning strike in the graveyard, the Creature (Cole Sprouse) arrives on her doorstep. The result’s not quite what Lisa was hoping for, but she’s thrilled anyway to help the Creature slowly rediscover what it means to be alive. The only catch is that because he’s been dead for over a century, his physical form isn’t in the best of shape. However, there might be a way to make some improvements, thanks to Lisa’s sewing skills, a faulty tanning bed — and the acquisition of some spare parts.

“It’s Aliiiiiiive!”: “What if Dr. Frankenstein was hot for her creation?” isn’t the strangest pitch to ever float around Hollywood, but it’s definitely unique. More of a slightly horrific teen farce than a 50/50 split between horror and comedy, Zelda Williams’s directorial debut is definitely better suited for Valentine’s Day than Halloween, anchored as it is by the wildly unconventional but also wildly charming couple at its center.

Playing Lisa is a real showcase for Kathryn Newton, who began acting quite young, but still racked up impressive credits like Mad Men, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, and Dog With a Blog — most recently, Newton appeared as Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (which wasn’t her fault). Still looking young enough to play a teenager, Newton leans into that while drawing out the demented energy demanded by the project’s inspiration. (Lisa doesn’t show any aptitude for science, but that shouldn’t disqualify her from mad scientist status.)

And making a corpse seem charismatic should be a pretty much impossible task (especially considering the expert level makeup and prosthetics covering him), but Cole Sprouse really does it, perhaps second only to Warm Bodies‘ Nicholas Hoult in the ranking of Nice Young Men Successfully Playing Hot Zombies. It’s a largely silent performance, which makes his work all the more impressive, especially as the Creature’s humanity begins to emerge.

Lisa Frankenstein (Focus Features)

“Of My Creation and Creator I Was Absolutely Ignorant”: It’s very important to mention that Lisa Frankenstein comes from the keyboard of screenwriter Diablo Cody, who has matured a lot as a screenwriter since her breakout with 2007’s Juno. This makes it all the richer to see her return to the world of high school — of course, Lisa Frankenstein has a lot more in common with Jennifer’s Body, as both are playing in the same realm of horror, with the same amount of irreverence.

Williams makes sure that the film never takes itself too seriously, without shortchanging the heavier emotional material. It’s a confident debut, with a solid sense of its own tone that allows Williams to push things as far as she does, as the film veers into darker material. And in deliberate contrast to that darker material, almost every frame pops with period-appropriate color, especially when it comes to pastels — there’s no major story reason for the film to be set in 1989, but the setting does add a lot to the overall vibe, while also evoking some of Williams’ clear sources of inspiration.

The Verdict: In some ways, Lisa Frankenstein is a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster itself, cobbled together from pieces of movies past, from Heathers to Hairspray to Beetlejuice to, well, Jennifer’s Body. And the moments that hew a little too closely to previous films stand out; the echoes of what came before are just a little too loud.

Yet there’s still plenty of originality in the mix, if only because of the boundaries pushed: Easily the most exciting moment of watching Lisa Frankenstein is discovering just how far Cody and Williams are prepared to take this story (which is to say, to places you just might not expect). That daring attitude is the spark which brings the monster to life — and it’s a monster you can learn to love.

Where to Watch: Lisa Frankenstein lumbers into theaters Friday, February 9th.

Trailer:

Lisa Frankenstein Chops Up Other Movies for a Wild Zom-Rom-Com: Review
Liz Shannon Miller

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