As a long time fan of horror movies the general public sees as “campy” or just straight up bad, when I saw the Letterboxd review of “Lisa Frankenstein” at a measly 3.4, which is seen as just ok as far as Letterboxd standards go, I knew I was going to love it. “Lisa Frankenstein” follows the adventures of Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) and her undead companion (Cole Sprouse) on their journey of murder and self discovery.
The major plot aspects of the movie, while not the most detailed, certainly add to the stereotypical outcast experience director Zelda Williams seems to be2 going for. Lisa Swallows is a senior in high school whose mom was killed years prior, causing Lisa to be selectively mute and often seen as weird. After a horrific party experience ends with a violent storm, Lisa heads home only to realize the inhabitant of the grave she often visits to talk to has come alive. Despite this outlandish storyline, the plot itself is more of a device to show a cast of wacky characters and to properly flesh out the well-placed jokes and gory scenes.
Speaking of well-placed jokes, this movie has more of them than I have seen in one place in probably years. During my screening I think I genuinely disrupted some other’s experiences with my obnoxious laughter. Despite all the characters having their moments in terms of humor, this is where Carla Gugino shines as Janet. As a giant fan of Gugino’s previous work in the horror genre it was a breath of fresh air to see her portraying such a hilarious and borderline insane character as Lisa’s neurotic stepmother.
Although previously I was not a fan of either Newton and Sprouse this movie has completely changed my perception of the both of them. With the disaster of “Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania” as well as “Riverdale” it was hard to go into the film with high hopes in terms of acting, and they both blew those hopes out of the water. Newton expertly executes a character who is absolutely bonkers while still keeping that audience relatability while Sprouse manages to connect with the audience despite his entire lack of speaking. Sprouse even worked with a mime on his body language skills in preparation for the role.
The key to unlocking such a great movie will always be the director, and Zelda Williams is no exception. Williams is the daughter to the late actor Robin Williams and made her entrance to the feature film directing world with “Lisa Frankenstein” which is an undoubtedly stylistic movie. Williams has cited horror films from the 80’s as inspiration for her debut film and this can be seen largely through her use of color pops and fashion choices. I have strong hopes for future movies directed by Williams as the movie world has long since needed a director who actually has a direction.
Overall, “Lisa Frankenstein” has already shot to the top of my favorite movies list as something I now think about as well as quote on the daily. Its expert use of a darker humor tone and stylistic directing has cemented itself in my head along with the likes of “Death Becomes Her” and “Jennifer’s Body,” produced and by the same studio and written by the same screenwriter, Diablo Cody.
Whether it’s a night out with friends or a boring Sunday afternoon, “Lisa Frankenstein” is the perfect watch for a good laugh and some fun. Just don’t be like me and make it a date.
