Time: 101 Minutes
Age Rating: M
Cast:
Kathryn Newton as Lisa
Cole Sprouse as The Creature
Liza Soberano as Taffy
Henry Eikenberry as Michael
Joe Chrest as Dale
Carla Gugino as Janet
Director: Zelda Williams

I was somewhat curious to check out Lisa Frankenstein, I mainly knew that it was a horror comedy written by Diablo Cody who previously wrote Jennifer’s Body. Overall, I found it to be quite enjoyable for what it was.

Lisa Frankenstein is a horror comedy that’s reminiscent of campy classics from the 80s, and benefits from the charming, witty, and sharp script. It’s dark yet quirky, doesn’t take itself seriously, funny, and is delightful to watch. At the same time, it is surprisingly sincere and heartfelt. Considering the darkness and blood in this movie, I think that Lisa Frankenstein could’ve gone a bit further. The PG-13 rating is a bit of a limitation, but they still get away with a lot.

Kathryn Newton is effectively likable, charming and delightful as the film’s awkward loner protagonist. As a reanimated corpse who has very little dialogue that doesn’t involve grunting, Cole Sprouse is really good and does some really great physical comedy. He and Newton share solid chemistry too. Carla Gugino and Liza Soberano are also really good in supporting roles, especially Soberano.

This is a very good directorial debut from Zelda Williams. It’s a great looking movie, very stylish and especially leans into the 80s nostalgia with the visuals, production design and costume. As I said, the film gets away with a lot with the violence and gore considering the PG-13 rating, but I maintain that it would’ve worked even better with an R rating.

Lisa Frankenstein is a stylish, campy, funny and entertaining horror romance comedy, and with a great performance from Kathryn Newton.