We kicked things off by acknowledging the chaos that comes with this time of year. It’s November, and instead of packing our schedule with themed content, we’re taking a bit of a breather.
The holidays are around the corner, and as anyone with a life knows, stress levels skyrocket. Shirin especially is bracing for the holidays with a baby, which adds a whole new layer of “what even is happening anymore?” to the season.
So for the rest of the year, we’re doing things our way: casually, at our own pace, and focusing on the things we actually want to talk about. No rigid structures. No stress. Just conversations we care about.
This episode lands on a day we were genuinely excited for: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein officially hit Netflix, and we couldn’t wait to talk about it.
Also, Meaghan gave a quick plug to Grave Tone, the horror podcast she co-hosts with Arthur. They’ve been exploring horror for over a decade together, and Grave Tone is where they let that obsession thrive. But don’t worry, Fully Booked is still the main love.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: A Passion Project Realized
Let’s talk Frankenstein. This isn’t just any adaptation. It’s Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation, a guy who’s been obsessed with monsters and misunderstood creatures his entire life. The film just hit Netflix, but we actually had the chance to catch it early at a film festival, which made the experience even more special.
This version is a co-production with Netflix, and it sticks to the period setting rather than going for a modern retelling. But even with that historical lens, it feels current. Everything, from the costume design to the production style, has a modern edge while staying grounded in its 1818 roots.
The story of Frankenstein is well-worn territory. There are hundreds of adaptations across mediums: books, films, TV, comics, songs, you name it. Yet del Toro still managed to do something different. That’s not easy.
But this was more than a project; it was personal. It’s been his dream to bring this story to life. He’s always sided with the creature, not the scientist. His past works, like Hellboy, The Shape of Water, and Crimson Peak, all point to this obsession. In fact, he’s said this is his favorite novel. Watching this, you could tell.
Every detail in this film was considered. Del Toro insisted on practical sets; he’s famously anti-AI and limits CG wherever possible. The laboratory and ship scenes? All built by hand. It makes a difference. You can feel the authenticity. The world feels lived in. It’s atmospheric without relying on cheap tricks.
Casting That Just Works: Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi Steal The Show
Let’s talk about the cast because, wow, they showed up.
Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, and if you’ve been dreaming of a version of Victor that feels real, flawed, and grounded, you’re in for a treat. He’s not the mad scientist caricature we’ve seen before. He’s layered. Driven by grief. Haunted by failure. Obsessed with power. But also desperate for love and recognition. Oscar brought that all to the table.
Then there’s Jacob Elordi as the creature. And listen, Shirin has been a fan of his for a while, but Meaghan needed some convincing. That happened with Priscilla, where he played Elvis. After that, any doubt vanished. His performance in Frankenstein takes it to another level. He disappears into the role. At times, you forget it’s even him.
Funny thing? He wasn’t even the original choice. Andrew Garfield was supposed to play the monster, but had to drop out weeks before shooting. So the makeup design was built for Garfield’s face. Elordi stepped in, and the team had to scramble to adapt.
That’s why his look evolves a bit as the film goes on, but it works, especially considering the creature is, well, stitched together.
Elordi put in the work. Ten hours of makeup on some days. He’d show up at 10 PM, stay through the night, and be ready to shoot the next morning. That’s commitment. Del Toro was apparently amazed by his dedication. Elordi even described the process as meditative.
Then there’s Mia Goth. She pulls double duty as both Elizabeth and Victor’s mother, Claire. Her performance had some viewers a bit thrown at first (Shirin wasn’t sure what to make of her initially), but Meghan loved it. She gives Elizabeth a voice, depth, and real presence. She isn’t just “the love interest.” She has thoughts, opinions, and agency.
Christoph Waltz shows up as Air Harlander, the man who funds Victor’s experiments. Charles Dance plays Victor’s emotionally abusive father. David Bradley, aka Filch from Harry Potter, appears as the blind man. And Lars Mikkelsen plays the ship captain. It’s a stacked cast, and everyone brings their A-game.
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Heartbreaking Themes, Powerful Visuals, and Gothic Goodness
This version of Frankenstein hits hard emotionally. It’s not just about creation and science; it’s about rejection, love, trauma, and what it means to be human. The monster isn’t the villain. Victor is.
And Oscar Isaac’s portrayal captures that descent into madness perfectly. You see the way grief, pride, and guilt twist him into something unrecognizable.
The film plays heavily with contrasts. The monster responds warmly to kindness, especially from Elizabeth, but recoils in the face of Victor’s cruelty. Their relationship mirrors Victor’s own with his parents. His father was cold and dismissive. Victor hated that. But guess what? He became worse.
That cycle of abuse and obsession is central here. You can’t watch this and not feel something. There are moments where the creature just wants connection, and you’ll find yourself choked up. He just wants a friend. It’s gutting.
Visually, the film is gorgeous. Del Toro finds beauty in the grotesque, and it shows. Every shot is lush. The set pieces, especially the ship and the lab, feel lived-in. The use of practical effects makes everything feel grounded and real. Gothic doesn’t even begin to cover it.
And the romance, yes, romance, is there too. Not in the traditional sense, but in the emotion, the longing, the drama. Del Toro blends horror, dark fantasy, and tragedy in a way that just hits you square in the chest. He always has. This time, it feels like the culmination of everything he’s done before.
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Final Thoughts and What’s Next
If you’re someone who loves Frankenstein, this is a must-watch. But even if you’ve never really connected with the story before, this film offers a fresh perspective that might change your mind. It’s not a shot-for-shot remake. It’s an interpretation. And that’s the point.
These classic stories stay relevant because every generation finds something new in them. This time, it’s about grief, loss, power, and love. And how all of those things can shape us, or destroy us.
And can we just pause to appreciate that Mary Shelley, a woman in the 1800s, wrote this story? At a time when women weren’t exactly encouraged to write gothic horror? She didn’t just dip her toes in; she basically invented the genre. Talk about groundbreaking.
We’re so glad this film exists. We’re lucky to be living in a time where directors like Guillermo del Toro are still telling these stories and doing them justice.
Next week, we’ll be shifting gears and talking about a less-than-stellar movie. Because we don’t always live in the highbrow space, we love a good trash flick too. Balance, right?
