Spoiler: This column contains potential spoilers for “The Bride!”
Frankenstein has been on top of the world for the past few months.
Netflix released Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” on its streaming service Nov. 7. The film was the No. 1 Netflix movie in 72 countries after three days, as well as top 10 in 93 countries. Just over two months later, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi as “The Creature.”
Then, adding to Frankenstein’s cultural surge, Warner Bros. released “The Bride!” on March 5 — a retelling of sorts of “The Bride of Frankenstein” from 1935. The film features a stacked cast with Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale in the lead roles, along with Maggie Gyllenhaal writing and directing.
It had the makings of a great movie that could steal the box office spotlight just a week away from the Academy Awards.
But it isn’t great, and it’s failing at the box office. It’s an ambitious project that struggles to stay connected throughout its 127-minute runtime, leaving me wanting less so I can exit the theater with more.
“The Bride!” follows Buckley as the titular character, who dies in the first moments of the movie but is brought back to life to be the bride of Frankenstein’s monster, known as Frank and played by Bale. Buckley and Bale deliver good performances as the two roam around the United States like a Bonnie and Clyde-esque couple, being chased by Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz).
Gyllenhaal’s surface-level ambition is clear — recreate a story of the bride that actually includes the bride. The 1935 film only includes her for two minutes, and she has no lines. Her cameo, if that’s even the right term, ends with the monster blowing up the tower and killing the two of them.
“The Bride!” couldn’t be more different. Buckley’s character is unrestrained. She’s the far more interesting personality compared to Frank, as Bale’s monster is more muted and plays off her.
As the two venture around the country, the Bride deals with the societal sexism instilled in the 1920s United States. Gyllenhaal’s methods in presenting this aren’t up for interpretation — the Bride is sexually assaulted on multiple occasions and at one point in the movie she literally shouts “me, too.”
This aspect of the movie is well executed, although I can understand some of these elements are a bit on the nose. That’s not a problem for me. Sometimes I need a movie to hold my hand.
Yet the problem I have with the film is the issues don’t feel like they’re explored nearly enough. When the Bride incites a revolution, we never delve into it. It’s similar to the revolution from “Joker,” only that film ends just as the riots begin, acting as a crutch to not explore the issues at hand. “The Bride!” doesn’t have that excuse.
A boring side plot involving the two detectives also hampers this film. Every time the movie left the Bride and Monster’s adventures to join the detectives, the momentum of the film faltered. Only when Wiles reveals a key point of information toward the end of the film did I believe the characters were necessary, but again, we don’t sit with the information. Just as quickly as Wiles shares the truth bomb, he leaves the movie, never to be seen again.
I’d be remiss not to mention Buckley, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors in Hollywood and one of the better parts of this film. She’s just under a week away from likely winning her first Academy Award for her exquisite performance in “Hamnet.” The cast could have been just her, and I would have been seated.
Buckley’s elevated status in the past year has led to more scrutiny for this performance. She’s asked to do quite a bit as the Bride is possessed by a creepy Mary Shelley character, the author of “Frankenstein” who is also played by Buckley. The Bride strolls around with her Chicago accent then quickly shifts to an English one, a strange creative choice that didn’t work for some but worked for me.
This role isn’t near the level of Agnes from “Hamnet.” This movie isn’t at the same level, either.
But that’s ok.
In an era of IP and shameless remakes dominating the box office, a large studio film that attempts to try something different is a breath of fresh air. And even though it’s not a great movie, “The Bride!” is something I can appreciate and respect.
