There are over 60 ‘Frankenstein’ film adaptations — these 8 are the best

I have always had an incredibly soft spot for Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” It was the first book that I felt I thoroughly understood, in a literary sense, in my freshman English class in college.

In the 200-plus years since Shelley wrote “Frankenstein,” the monster of Victor Frankenstein’s creation has attained cultlike status. The creature, often lumped with other literary monsters like Dracula, the Wolfman and the Mummy, has become a staple of Halloween costumes throughout the years.

Beyond its pop culture status, the themes of “Frankenstein” have been thoroughly debated. Is it a cautionary tale of overambitious scientific advancement? A story of nature versus nurture? Was the creature born evil or, abandoned, left to be so?

The many themes of “Frankenstein” have been explored, some seriously and some satirically, in film. “Frankenstein” has been the subject of many movie adaptations over the years — but which movie adaptations are the best? Let’s get into it.

What is the story ‘Frankenstein’ about?

“Frankenstein” tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist and student who steals body parts from corpses to create his own man. Once he’s created it and brought it to life, Frankenstein finds his creation hideous and abandons it.

The creature, unnamed, is left to fend for himself. The story of “Frankenstein” follows both Frankenstein and the creature, as well as the consequences of Frankenstein’s ambition.

What is the theme of ‘Frankenstein’?

As Rebecca Laurence wrote for BBC in 2018, “As a parable, the novel has been used as an argument both for and against slavery and revolution, vivisection and the Empire, and as a dialogue between history and progress, religion and atheism.”

“The prefix ‘Franken-’ thrives in the modern lexicon as a byword for any anxiety about science, scientists and the human body, and has been used to shape worries about the atomic bomb, GM crops, strange foods, stem cell research and both to characterise and assuage fears about AI,” she wrote.

In 2018, Jill Lepore discussed another theme of “Frankenstein” in a piece for The New Yorker: motherhood.

As Lepore points out, Shelley began writing “Frankenstein” as a teenager — “two years after she’d become pregnant with her first child, a baby she did not name.” She had given birth to her second by the time she started writing the novel and was pregnant with her third by the time she finished.

“What made Mary Shelley’s work so original, Ellen Moers argued at the time, was that she was a writer who was a mother,” Lepore wrote in The New Yorker. Lepore notes that Shelley refrained from naming Frankenstein’s creature, just as she refrained from naming her first child.

There are parallels between Shelley’s experience of motherhood and Victor Frankenstein’s creation of the monster. Shelley wrote in her diary, after the death of her fist child, “Dream that my little baby came to life again; that it had only been cold, and that we rubbed it before the fire, and it lived.”

Similarly, Victor Frankenstein saw his own creation come to life, saying, “I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.”

“I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion,” the creature later said.

How old was Mary Shelley when she wrote ‘Frankenstein’?

Shelley was 18 when she created the idea of “Frankenstein” and 19 when she completed the novel. The story of the creation of “Frankenstein” is perhaps just as famous as the creation of the monster itself.

On a spring evening in 1816, which Shelley spent with Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and a few others, Byron announced: “We will each write a ghost story.” According to The New Yorker, it was then that Shelley “began the story that would become ‘Frankenstein.’”

Shelley insisted that the idea of “Frankenstein” came to her in a dream, writing, “I saw — with shut eyes, but acute mental vision, — I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together.” Per The New Yorker, the writing of “Frankenstein” was, as Shelley said, “‘making only a transcript’ of that dream.”

Ruminating on her first novel, which she called her “hideous progeny,” Shelley wrote in an introduction for a revised 1831 edition of “Frankenstein”: “How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?”

The 8 best ‘Frankenstein’ movie adaptations

There are, by my count, over 60 film adaptations of “Frankenstein.” Unsurprisingly, some retellings are better than others. While some stay true to Shelley’s themes, others take creative — and zany — liberties.

Here are the top eight best “Frankenstein” movie adaptations, all varying in degrees of accuracy.

8. ‘Frankenweenie’ (2012)

If you’re in search of a family-friendly way to introduce your kids to “Frankenstein,” “Frankenweenie” is a great choice. Directed by Tim Burton, “Frankenweenie” follows a young Victor Frankenstein in his formative years.

Victor, bullied at school for being a science nerd, has only one friend: his beloved dog, Sparky. But after a horrible accident, Sparky dies. But hope is not lost — after gaining inspiration from his science teacher, Victor brings Sparky back to life.

“Frankenweenie” is a cute movie with a stacked cast — it features Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Martin Short and others — and it’s great to watch year-round. It’s in the classic Tim Burton animation style, similar to “Corpse Bride,” so the whole family will enjoy it.

7. ‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ (1948)

As The Guardian put it, by the end of the 1940s, “American horror cinema neared the end of its first great flowering.” So in order to drum up interest, Universal decided to team Frankenstein up with two of his famous monster counterparts: Dracula and the Wolfman. Throw in some slapstick humor, and 1948’s “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” was born.

If the premise sounds camp, it is. But that’s the appeal of the film. In it, baggage clerks Chick Young (Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Costello) find themselves face to face with the three iconic monsters.

The film is 100% slapstick, with absolutely no traces of Shelley’s original story. But that doesn’t make the film any less worth watching. Along with “Frankenweenie,” it’s a great introduction to the “Frankenstein” lore, and it’s a film that even your kids might enjoy watching.

6. ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935)

1935’s “The Bride of Frankenstein” is a sequel to 1931’s “Frankenstein” (more on that later). It’s an interesting and iconic addition to the world created by Shelley.

In it, Colin Clive reprises his role as Henry Frankenstein and Boris Karloff reprises his role as the creature, while Elsa Lanchester plays the titular bride of Frankenstein. The film, interestingly, opens with Shelley telling her husband and Lord Byron that there’s more to the original “Frankenstein” story.

The film picks up where the first left off: after the alleged death of the creature, Frankenstein’s former mentor, Dr. Pretorius, works to create a bride for the monster. Despite his initial apprehension, Henry eventually works to create the bride.

The film is an interesting addition to Shelley’s novel, especially considering that the bride rejects the creature. But “Bride of Frankenstein” remains a classic addition to the early horror genre, and bride of Frankenstein costumes are just as popular as Halloween costumes of the original monster.

5. ‘Frankenstein’ (1994)

While this might be the most accurate movie adaptation of “Frankenstein,” the reason why this Kenneth Branagh-directed (and starring!) film is not No. 1 is that is has too many glaring inconsistencies.

First and most noticeably: Branagh’s version of Frankenstein is simply too shirtless. Why, in the midst of perhaps the greatest (and most horrific) scientific achievement of all time, is our scientist without a shirt? I ask you: is it necessary? Is it needed? I now answer: no.

Jokes aside, Branagh’s “Frankenstein” is considered the most book-accurate adaptation. It includes a star-studded cast, with Robert De Niro as Frankenstein’s monster and Helena Bonham-Carter as Elizabeth.

It’s worth noting that Branagh includes a few interesting (and perhaps unnecessary) twists that weren’t in the book, including Frankenstein bringing Elizabeth back to life.

4. ‘Young Frankenstein’ (1974)

“Young Frankenstein” is by no means a faithful adaptation, but it is perhaps the funniest. One of three collaborations between Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, “Young Frankenstein” follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder), a medical lecturer who learns that he inherited his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania.

Hijinks ensue. “Young Frankenstein” is my personal favorite on this list, but ranks at four because, while it is hilarious, it is not book accurate. The film has some iconic lines — “Destiny! Destiny! No escaping that for me!” is a favorite — plus an unexpected, campy musical number.

While Wilder is hilarious as Dr. Frankenstein, my favorite performance is Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s fiancee. The scene where she and Frankenstein say goodbye at the train station gets me every time.

3. ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ (1957)

If I could describe “The Curse of Frankenstein” in one word, it’d be intense. The original story was dark enough, but this 1957 adaptation takes some liberties that somehow make it even darker.

Peter Cushing plays Victor Frankenstein, who is portrayed as a sociopathic, murderous scientist willing to do anything to succeed. Christopher Lee plays the creature and Robert Urquhart plays Paul Krempe, Frankenstein’s science tutor.

“The Curse of Frankenstein” leans heavily on gore and horror, much more than its predecessors. For example, in order to get a brain for his monster, Frankenstein murders a brilliant professor by pushing him down the stairs. He also accidentally shoots Elizabeth, his fiancee, whom he was cheating on with Justine. On top of all that, Frankenstein orders the creature to kill Justine, because she claims she’s pregnant with his child and threatens to reveal the truth.

The film ends with Frankenstein getting hanged for his crimes. This movie is an extremely gory take on the original story, especially for the time, but it was popular enough to spawn six sequels.

2. ‘Frankenstein’ (1931)

Considered the quintessential “Frankenstein” film, 1931’s “Frankenstein” is likely what comes to mind when you think of the classic tale.

Starring Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein and Boris Karloff as the creature, the film arguably is what cemented “Frankenstein” as a pop culture icon. It depicts the titular Frankenstein as a frenzied, mad scientist (“It’s alive!”), which some consider to be unfaithful to the book.

This film is also the first movie adaptation to include Frankenstein’s hunchbacked lab assistant, called Fritz, but later known as Igor or Ygor in other famous adaptations. Fritz was first featured in Richard Brinsley Peake’s 1823 play “Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein.” This is a noticeable difference from Shelley’s novel, which didn’t include a lab assistant.

Despite its stark differences from the book, 1931’s “Frankenstein” is considered to be the blueprint for the many horror films that came afterwards.

1. ‘Frankenstein’ (2011)

OK, this isn’t a movie adaptation per se — the National Theatre’s “Frankenstein” in 2011 was a stage play, not a film. But the play adaptation was recorded (and is available online!), and is by far the best adaptation of “Frankenstein” to date.

In it, actors Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch alternate playing the creature and Victor Frankenstein in different performances, and both actors give formidable performances in each role. And the play is incredibly faithful to the book.

At the time of its launch, “Frankenstein” received rave reviews. The Guardian wrote, “It’s a humane, intelligent retelling of the original story in which much of the focus is on the plight of the obsessive scientist’s sad creation, who becomes his alter ego and his nemesis: it’s rather like seeing ‘The Tempest’ rewritten from Caliban’s point of view.”