The Top 10 Best Frankenstein Movies
5. The Monster Squad
Growing up as a kid The Monster Squad was one of my favorite Halloween movies every year. It helped me get past my fear of monsters (as much as an elementary schooler can get past that sort of thing) and turned me into the well-adjusted movie geek you see before you now. Of all the Frankenstein movies out there, this is still my favorite movie version of the monster thanks to Tom Noonan’s emotional performance. While all the other monsters are terrifying the small town they’ve come to, Frank is having tea parties with little girls and making new friends. When it hits the fan, he defies his fellow monsters and stands in solitude with the humans proving to be one hell of an ally just when they need one most. This version of Frankenstein is a hero who is just looking for an end to his crippling loneliness. Something this well-adjusted movie geek can totally relate to.
4. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein
Robert DeNiro is probably the last person you would imagine starring in a Frankenstein movie. I mean, he just doesn’t seem the reanimated corpse type. Still, I have to hand it to him for playing one of the best adaptations of the creature on the big screen. He’s not just a bumbling brute, but a thinking, feeling man. A man who is pretty pissed off that some dickhead Doctor brought him back to life and then tossed him out like he was yesterday’s trash. Given a bit of time to get past the whole coming back to life thing, this version of the creature decides that he’s going to make his creator’s life as much of a living hell as his it. His is a story of pain, suffering, and daddy issues, making him one of the best big-screen Frankensteins of all time.
3. Young Frankenstein
Mel Brooks is one of the greatest comedic minds in movie history. So, there was no way that I wasn’t going to include his take of the Frankenstein tale on this list. At the center of this version is a descendant of “that” Doctor Frankenstein trying to get as far away from his ancestor’s reputation as possible. That proves easier said than done as he finds himself pursuing the same science that made his forbearer so infamous. As expected, he creates his own version of the creature (played by the enormous Peter Boyle) who turns out to be pretty much exactly like his own predecessor, though much funnier. The film is uproariously hilarious, featuring the iconic Putting on the Ritz musical number staring creature and creator. Of all the Frankenstein movies on this list, this is a must-see.
2. Frankenstein
This is where it all started, folks. The 1931 OG Frankenstein movie that inspired all the ones that followed. Boris Karloff plays the titular creature proving to be the most iconic adaptation to ever lumber on to the silver screen. His character looks and acts nothing like the version in the books, but damn if we don’t always picture him in our minds whenever someone says “Frankenstein.” Composed of parts salvaged from corpses and brought to life by a mad scientist, he is damned to existence between life and death as he struggles to find a place in the world. Folks don’t take to things that are different too easily though and he’s shunned as a monster from the get-go. Thus solidifying the creature more as a tragic figure than a monster.
1. Bride of Frankenstein
Frankenstein is back, and he’s pissed. Like so many horror movie villains, Frank survived his death in the first film only to return with a vengeance. He’s filled with rage over the events of the last film, but deep down still has a good soul. Despite killing people who attack him, he goes out of his way to save those in peril and even befriends an old man who slowly teaches him how to speak and understand the world. His true desire though it to no longer live a life of isolation, and so the good Doctor goes about creating a mate for him. The problem is that women don’t really take too kindly to the whole “being made for a man” thing. Needless to say, she isn’t too pleased to be pawned off on Frank and the two clash violently. Hey, at least he wasn’t friend-zoned.
Honorable Mention: Frankenstein Unbound
You know what’s missing from most Frankenstein movies? Time travel. Frankenstein Unbound is a crazy movie. Not only does it feature a scientist from the future traveling back in time to meet Doctor Frankenstein himself, but he also meets the monster and Mary Shelley herself. Apparently, they don’t reach people not to mess with the past in the future, because this guy is literally driving around in the 1800s using a car. While it features some pretty decent actors (John Hurt among them), the film is basically a B-Movie. Still, it presents one of the creepiest versions of Frankenstein I’ve ever seen. The guy is an absolute mess, but then again, Frankenstein isn’t known for his good looks. As one of the more unique Frankenstein movies out there, I felt it deserved an honorable mention.
Shout-Out: Frankenweenie
I can’t help feeling like man’s best friend deserves a shout-out on this list of Frankenstein movies. Tim Burton must be quite a fan of the original tale of Frankenstein because he’s made a few adaptations over the years. Of course, I could go with his stop-motion version of Frankenweenie, but as a kid, I loved his early attempt at a live-action telling of the tale. It starts off as the story of a boy and his dog, who are the best of friends right up until tragedy strikes. Fortunately, the tragedy doesn’t stick as the boy takes a bit of inspiration from the classic monster story and reanimates his four-legged friend with a bit of help from a bolt of lightning. It’s a wonderfully clever and touching tale that I wholeheartedly endorse seeing.
Those are my picks for the best Frankenstein movies of all time. I’d love to hear what you think of the movies that made this list and if there are any others that should have earned a spot. So, please leave a comment below. As always, I’ll update these rankings as more Frankenstein movies hit theaters and you can always check back to see how the rankings change. Until next time, remember, “Fire bad.”