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Frankenstein
Movie

Frankenstein

2025 • Drama, Fantasy, Horror

Woke Score
6
out of 10

Plot

Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Overall Series Review

The 2025 adaptation of Frankenstein re-frames Mary Shelley’s classic horror story as a modern parable of social rejection and parental failure, explicitly designed by the director to engage with contemporary social issues. The film conducts a moral inversion where Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the privileged, egotistical, Western scientist, is unequivocally painted as the 'real monster' and 'insufferable' egotist, whose toxic obsession and parental cruelty drive the entire tragedy. Conversely, the Creature is humanized and moralized to an unprecedented degree, serving as a pure-hearted 'outcast' whose violence is largely confined to self-defense. Critical reception widely interprets the Creature's struggle for love and acceptance as a direct allegory for contemporary marginalized groups seeking affirmation, specifically framing his journey as the 'queer pursuit of existing in the world' and living 'unbound by binary expectations.' The narrative’s primary thrust is a condemnation of the uncompassionate society and the failed paternity of the Creator, prioritizing an intersectional-style reading of power dynamics over the traditional Promethean warning. While the film is not focused on 'Girl Boss' tropes or explicit anti-theism (Victor's godless science is critiqued as hubris), its high score is driven by the deliberate and high-intensity application of identity politics and queer theory lenses to the central conflict, making the story a clear lecture on privilege and societal rejection.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics7/10

The film explicitly vilifies the wealthy, powerful, white male scientist (Victor Frankenstein) as the 'real monster' and 'egotistical' failure, contrasting him with the pure-hearted, vulnerable Creature. The narrative positions the Creature as the ultimate victim and the story is framed as a commentary on how society rejects the 'different' or 'unwanted,' aligning with a high-level critique of privilege and social hierarchy.

Oikophobia6/10

The narrative's critique of Western society is moderate but clear. Victor, a product of Western science and aristocracy, is the catalyst for the tragedy due to his trauma and hubris. Through the Creature's eyes, humanity and society are presented as 'anti-life, a pestilence that destroys without hesitation,' which suggests a fundamental corruption of Western civilization.

Feminism5/10

The primary dynamic is between two male figures (Creator and Creature), but Victor is a clear example of a 'toxic' and 'insufferable' male whose failures of 'fatherhood' are central to the plot. While there is no 'Girl Boss' or explicit anti-natalism, the major male protagonist is presented as morally bankrupt and emasculated by his own failure.

LGBTQ+8/10

The score is high due to the explicit application of a Queer Theory lens in critical analysis, with one review stating the film 'beautifully illustrat[es] the queer pursuit of existing in the world' and that the Creature's struggle represents the desire to live 'unbound by binary expectations.' This indicates a high level of intentional social messaging centering alternative identity as the core allegorical meaning.

Anti-Theism4/10

Victor Frankenstein's attempt to 'master the forces of life and death' is an act of 'godless' scientific hubris that ultimately leads to his undoing, which is a classic moral warning against 'playing God.' This critique of human arrogance prevents a 10/10 score, but the Creature's moral development is self-discovered rather than guided by a transcendent moral law, keeping the score in the low-to-mid range.