Time: 126 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Violence, sexual violence & offensive language
Cast:
Jessie Buckley as Ida “The Bride”
Christian Bale as “Frank”
Peter Sarsgaard as Jake Wiles
Annette Bening as Dr. Cornelia Euphronious
Jake Gyllenhaal as Ronnie Reed
Penélope Cruz as Myrna Malloy
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Bride! was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025. It had a talented cast led by Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, was directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal who previously made The Lost Daughter, and looked to be a take on Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. It also appeared to be taking some big swings based on the trailers, and seemed to be the kind of movie that could either really work or really not. The divided and mixed reactions weren’t too surprising, and while there’s definitely a lot about the movie that didn’t work for me, overall, I liked it.

The first stretch of the movie stumbles a bit in terms of pacing and progression, it really picks up when Jessie Buckley’s character is brought back to life and meets Christian Bale’s character. The middle act is enjoyable to watch, but it attempts to do so much and has so many ideas that it doesn’t really know what to do with all of them. The film is at its best when it is focussing on Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale as The Bride and Frankenstein’s monster (or “Frank” as he’s often called), other plotlines like the gangster stuff and the detective subplot are mixed bags. The jam packed script results in a very messy and wonky movie that’s tonally uneven and also has some very hit or miss dialogue. There is a notable aspect in which the ghost of Mary Shelley possesses The Bride and this serves as a framing device for the film, as she occasionally pops up to give commentary. I appreciate the boldness of the choice, but none of it worked for me at all. It added a needlessly complicated aspect and considering how full of ideas the movie already was, removing it would’ve made all the difference. Even at just 2 hours, The Bride felt a little long and dragged in parts. Having said all that, I can’t deny that I enjoyed it and found it largely entertaining throughout. It is unique, riffing on Bonnie and Clyde and various versions of Frankenstein, along with mashing up the gangster era and gothic horror, and gleefully leaning into absurdism with absolutely no subtlety whatsoever. I can’t say whether much of this would hold up on a repeat viewing, but at least on the initial viewing, I was on board with the big swings and strange directions it was going in.

Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale are in the lead roles and they give it their all. At times the rough writing really doesn’t do them any favours, Buckley particularly has some rough material, especially when The Bride goes off on random tangents and monologues. Even then, she commits to everything she’s given, and delivers a multilayered, energetic and scene chewing performance that fits the tone of the film. I also like what Bale does with Frankenstein’s monster here, vulnerable and sharing good chemistry with Buckley. The supporting cast are solid too, with Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Penelope Cruz and Jake Gyllenhaal doing well in their parts even if they aren’t given the strongest material, with Bening and Cruz particularly making the most of their scenes.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s direction is strong, it is so distinctly and stylistically different from The Lost Daughter. I enjoyed her creative flair and I do think that her big swings definitely paid off more on the technical side at the very least. I was really into the film’s aesthetic and style, I liked the punk rock take on a 1930s period piece crime setting. The cinematography is gorgeous and distinct, the production design, costumes and makeup (mainly on Buckley and Bale) are superb, and there are some bombastic set pieces. Finally, Hildur Guðnadóttir composed an excellent score, and I was really into the use of music in the movie.

The Bride! is messy, but bold, creative, stylish and unhinged, and benefits from committed performances from Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. It’s hard to recommend it or to gauge whether or not it would be for you, but if you enjoy the looks of it from the trailer and appreciate films that take ‘big swings’, I think it’s worth checking out.