Lisa Frankenstein follows a misunderstood girl named Lisa (Kathryn Newton) who has to balance trying to find love while putting together a corpse (Cole Sprouse) that comes back to life one night. The movie balances some fun horror aspects, mixed in with some coming-of-age elements, and crafts a fun campy story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The best thing this movie does is camp. The movie is incredibly goofy and funny without having to force it. Newton is perfectly deliberate with her lines and her body language. One of my favorite things about her is how she walks. She acts like she knows there is a camera on her and eats it up.
Sprouse is also great with his body language. As the reanimated “Monster”, he does not speak until the very end of the movie. Instead, he can communicate his emotions with his eyes and his reactions. This plays into how goofy the movie gets at times but it never felt like it got overwhelming.
There is a cute romance before the two. I credit the writing of Lisa’s character. She is an independent, strong woman who is “smitten” by the school’s paper editor. All while she is helping the Monster regain his bodily functions through murdering others. The Monster loves Lisa yet still helps her try to have sex with her crush. It’s adorable, while exaggerated.
Their bond goes beyond physical attraction, as it’s their emotional bond that sells me on their relationship. Lisa witnessed a catastrophic event that caused her to bottle her emotions up and stop talking to people. With the Monster, she feels the comfort in his presence to open up and come out of her shell.
My critique of the movie does come with the story, however. I think in trying to balance the comedy, romance, and horror, the movie is just ok at all three instead of excelling at anything. Lisa’s family dynamics are a bit much in my personal opinion and the police involvement in the murders is unserious at best. This is the only thing I can knock it for as I think it ultimately did all three well enough while not taking itself too seriously.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Lisa Frankenstein is a cute rom-com slasher that was better than I expected. Kathryn Newton was dynamite and Cole Sprouse was awesome in support. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously but it is still telling a very engaging story with likable characters. Give it a watch if you can.
