TL;DR – I’d be honestly surprised if “what if Bonnie and Clyde were Frankenstein and his Bride” was not written somewhere prominently in the pitch deck for this film.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – This film contains scenes which may cause distress.

The Bride! Review Introduction –

If you had told me a few years ago that Gothic Romance would come crashing back into the zeitgeist, I would have called you a fool. But indeed, it seems that I would have been the foolish one. Because we have had multiple big entries into this space, including other works adapting Frankenstein. Today, we are looking at a work that takes that classic tale and twists it on its head, and I am intrigued to see just how that works out. 

So, to set the scene, it is Chicago in the 1930s, the casinos are hot, the liquor is flowing, and the mob has their fingers in everything. Frank (Christian Bale) has been going through this world alone, but now he wants a partner in crime, and Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) might be just the person to do it. Thus, a local murdered and possibly possessed woman’s body becomes The Bride (Jessie Buckley). It was all very simple to pull off, but they may have got more than they bargained for.

The Adaptation

There are many justifiable ways that you can approach an adaptation. You can take the scene-for-scene/word-for-word route like the first episode of The Last of Us, you could make a faithful adaptation while shifting things for a modern audience such as Nosferatu, or you can take your historical work and slap it down in a completely different context to see if it still works as 10 Things I Hate About You did. Well, The Bride! Takes that last option and double downs on it hard.   

I joked a bit at the start that this was very Bonnie and Clyde coded, but that is not that far from the truth, but there are some important caveats. The first is the framing device that the film uses to tie everything together. Having Mary Shelley (Jessie Buckley) appear as the medium between the film and the audience, part forth wall breaking narrator, part active player in the narrative is an interesting choice. It does help keep you guesses as to what is real and what is a lie [I know it is a fictional film and thus it is all technically a lie, I have watched Galaxy Quest, but I was referring to within the context of the world they’ve created here.]  I’m not sure it would have worked if they hadn’t cast Jessie Buckley in the dual role.

The Cast

On that note, I need to talk about the cast. Look, at this point in the awards cycle you have seen Jessie Buckley in some of her work in Hamnet, and you know she is good. Well, here she is electric in every moment, captivating every scene, commanding the focus, and making a statement. It is her journey we are on, and because of that the film is so much better with her presence. First the bride, and then the groom. Christian Bale’s performance can be an anchor that lesser films can hold onto to be better. However, here, he is in a film that is ready to challenge him at every stage of his performance, and he is up for the challenge.

While our two leads are out there causing carnage across the Northeast of the USA, the rest of the film is filled with these character actors coming in and stealing scenes left, right, and even centre. Annette Bening is an absolute delight here as a slightly disturbing scientist. Jake Gyllenhaal gets to channel the golden age of Hollywood and dance up a storm that even the rain could not falter, though a gun might do the trick. Also, shout out to Jeannie Berlin for having the perfect comedic timing.

The Production

One of the best things that The Bride does is lean in hard to the time they are setting the film in. It is equal parts glitz and glamour, while also getting down and dirty. It is that juxtaposition that is at the heart of the film’s visual story. There is a unique spin on the famous monster makeup for both the lead characters, and I must say I liked it. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s musical score works well bridging the world and the golden age spectacle songs. On that front, shout out to the choreography team for a stunning dance number. Also, commendation to the location scouts for the range of settings they found to build this world.  

The Narrative  

At the heart of the film is this notion of self-discovery, what are you when you are an almost-blank slate, a tabula rasa, but also clearly shaped by the world. There are themes of consent and autonomy, the role of women, and the corruption of power. When the film is running at full speed, these themes are electric. Unfortunately, for me, the film wasn’t always firing on all cylinders. The pacing does start to drag the further we get into the film, and it becomes clearer they are going to do the thing you suspected from the start but must wait an age to commit to. Its not helped by a side plot with Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz that feels like it is in an entirely different movie.    

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Bride!? To be fair, there is some subject matter here that will absolutely be a deal breaker for people, and understandable so. However, I found it to be profoundly compelling when it was on fire, and still interesting even when it was not quite coming together.  

Have you watched The Bride!? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Bride!, we would recommend The Shape of Water because it is also looking at themes of identity when under oppression.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Bride!
Directed by – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Screenplay by – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Based on – Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
Music by – Hildur Guðnadóttir
Cinematography by – Lawrence Sher
Edited by – Dylan Tichenor
Production/Distribution Companies – First Love Films, In the Current Company, Universal Pictures & Warner Bros Pictures.
Starring – Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, Linda Emond, Louis Cancelmi, Matthew Maher, Zlatko Burić, & Karin Dreijer
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14a; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R