Lisa Frankenstein Was Not What I Was Expecting

Lisa Frankenstein is not an ordinary monster movie. Sometimes the components that make up the individual parts of a film are all great. For example, I quite enjoy media with Katie Newton in it. Her role in The Society, a series that aired some years back, was one I particularly enjoyed. Additionally, I like Frankenstein as a movie focal point. I thought the more obscure titles like Alive, Depraved, and Poor Things were excellent twists on the classic story that seeks to analyze the topic of science and death.

I’d be first in line to hear the public relations team try to summarize the plot. They’ve done a valiant job; however, they didn’t really advertise a few key items. The IMDb.com site ekes out a narrative about a corpse being a young girl’s crush and that together they bring him back to life. While this is almost all true, the synopsis leaves out the fact that The Creature, as so aptly labeled, is not the source of the leading lady’s infatuation. A real boy is.

Lisa is what can only be described as a character that befits the imagined off-spiring from the likes of all the people Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp have played in their cinematic careers. Her tragic history doesn’t explain why she is such a unique individual, but she rolls with each and every hit. Alluring yet unmatched in her weirdness, Lisa’s character arc is an absurd and fascinating ride.

Without even mentioning her on-screen partner, the zombie, Lisa maintains a large threat who remains hidden in plain sight. She can summon her heart’s desire by wishing for it in a cemetery, when really what the universe delivered was not what she had asked for. She wanted to be dead in the cemetery, but fate decided to bring the man she talked to for years back to the land of the living so she could be with him. However, once her misunderstanding has been announced, she decides to make the most of it.

I do remember reading that Lisa Frankenstein was about a girl putting together her perfect man. But the truth is, the oddball pair aren’t deliberate in their body part replacements. His parts aren’t carefully curated bits that will enhance the overall man. The Creature snips off the ear from one of their incidental victims and afterward, he begs her to sew it onto him. It’s only later that they conspire to get the ear to work. In this malformed universe, a tanning bed offers the perfect dose of electricity to get things moving again. But not all things are working right for this undead, non-functioning man from the past.

Reviews for Lisa Frankenstein have been modest at best. Rated highest on IMDb.com at 6.1/10, the title is consistently described as underwhelming. In its attempt to stay relevant and edgy, it seems the sophomore feature film by Zelda Williams enters unusual territory. There is an aesthetic nuance that makes you plug into the zingy one-liners. On their own, they don’t mean much but much later, repeated in context to someone else who has seen the movie, there would likely be hilarity on offer.

Lisa Frankenstein is the type of horror comedy that fits in with titles like Wayne’s World, Superstar, and The Hot Chick but snaps free of its comedy niche by being violent and dishing out a few unique murders. The film is not necessarily scary but falls within the horror genre through its thematic backdrop of a world where Frankenstein is a thing combined with a surprise spurt of slicing and dicing in the latter half.

Coming of Age Meets Coming of Rage

So where does the romance fit into this tale of Frankenstein reimagined by being totally unlike the original story at all? I’m glad you asked. Lisa Frankenstein pursues the man of her dreams, but sadly he falls for her stepsister and she finds them in bed together. Lucky for her, The Creature is always paying attention and even if he isn’t the man of her dreams, it’s easy to see she is the woman of his.

“People are so afraid of death, because they don’t know when it’s going to happen to them. It could be an axe murderer, could be the flu, but they don’t know. And they hate that, so I’m not afraid of death anymore. But I don’t want to die a virgin.”

Quote from Lisa Frankenstein 2024

And now I will spoil the part of the Lisa Frankenstein story that makes it worth watching. Both for its audacity and the way it is executed, Lisa and her Creature make good use of her crush’s severed appendage. In a scene that was cringe-worthy in the worst possible way, there really couldn’t be any other type of ending for a movie like this.

Lisa Frankenstein is recommended for people who love showing their friends movies that will make them not understand why they are still friends. You’ll find it streaming on Peacock in the USA and

The Lisa Frankenstein movie is rated

2.5 Dick swinging differently out of 5

The release date for Lisa Frankenstein was the 9th of February 2024 in the USA. The story was written by Diablo Cody (Juno and Jenifer’s Body.) Cast for the movie are listed as:

• Kathryn Newton
• Cole Sprouse
• Liza Soberano
• Henry Eikenberry
• Joe Chrest
• Carla Gugino

Diablo Cody’s Lisa Frankenstein trailer is out now. Watch it below