The Bride! (2026) Review

Few novels have cast as long a shadow over popular culture as Mary Shelley's ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus’. Published in 1818, the Gothic classic has been endlessly reinterpreted, from James Whale's immortal Universal horror films and the later Peter Cushing-led Hammer series, to Kenneth Branagh's lavish adaptation starring Robert De Niro, as well as Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited 2025 interpretation.

Yet the legacy of Frankenstein extends far beyond direct adaptations. Mel Brooks' ‘Young Frankenstein’ is a laugh riot send-up of the classic Universal horror films, helping cement the monster's place in popular culture, while Yorgos Lanthimos' ‘Poor Things’ reworks Shelley's themes of creation and identity into a surreally funny, feminist coming-of-age story.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Bride!’ follows Frankenstein's Monster- known as Frank- as he seeks the one thing he has always been denied: companionship. In 1930s Chicago, he turns to Dr. Euphronious, an eccentric scientist, to create a mate for him. When the Bride awakens from her deathly slumber, she and Frank embark on a crime spree, pursued by police, mobsters and a society determined to keep them as outsiders.

It is a frustrating film, undone by its own heavy-handedness. What initially promises to be a radical reimagining of the Frankenstein myth soon settles into a predictable riff on ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, leaving the film neither as provocative nor as profound as Gyllenhaal seems to intend. Narratively, it is also quite confused. Gyllenhaal introduces an unnecessary framing device in which Mary Shelley narrates the story from beyond the grave, while also possessing the Bride herself. Rather than deepening the connection to Shelley's original novel, this comes across as confusing and superfluous.

The film's exploration of agency, control and female empowerment is similarly lacking in subtlety. Its message is clear from the outset: women are constrained by a patriarchal society seeking to control them, while the men around them are cruel, incompetent and threatened by female independence. There is nothing inherently wrong with this perspective- in fact, it aligns naturally with Shelley's own concerns about creation, ownership and autonomy- but Gyllenhaal details these ideas with all the nuance of a sledgehammer in a fine china shop.

By the time the Bride inspires a movement of women seeking liberation, one is left more frustrated than moved by the film's clumsy messaging and uneven screenplay. Yorgos Lanthimos explored similar themes in ‘Poor Things’, yet did so with far greater nuance, allowing its ideas about identity and autonomy to emerge naturally from the character's journey.

James Whale's ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ gave the titular character only a few moments on screen, yet those moments became iconic because of what they suggested. Gyllenhaal gives the Bride an entire story, but paradoxically leaves less room for mystery, intrigue and emotional impact, spelling out ideas that Whale understood were more powerful when left unsaid.

Yet, while ‘The Bride!’ is often frustrating narratively, there is no denying that it is a magnificent visual achievement. Gyllenhaal and her collaborators have crafted a world that is lavish, eccentric and deliberately excessive, embracing a heightened aesthetic, blending gothic horror, romance and gangster melodrama. Lawrence Sher’s cinematography and Karen Murphy’s production design are particularly impressive, transforming 1930s America into a stylised dreamscape of towering architecture, smoky alleyways and elaborate interiors.

The costume and makeup design are equally striking. The Bride's appearance pays tribute to Elsa Lanchester's iconic look while giving the character her own identity, reflecting both her origins as an artificial being and her evolution into an individual. There is a jazzy, almost anarchic quality to the film's visual style; it is a collision between a 1930s monster movie, a gangster picture and a theatrical fever dream, embracing excess with complete confidence.

Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score similarly has no interest in restraint. With its booming orchestration and theatrical flourishes, it recalls Baz Luhrmann's maximalist approach to filmmaking. While that sense of excess occasionally creates exhilarating moments, the constant insistence that every scene is a grand emotional statement becomes exhausting. Conversely, the makeup effects are terrific, dance sequences throughout are well-choreographed and Dylan Tichenor’s editing lends proceedings a steady pace.

Further, the performances are strong. Jessie Buckley gives a wildly energetic performance as the titular character, embracing the anarchic side of the screenplay with gusto. She chews the scenery, nails and all, but her commitment is commendable and enthusiasm infectious. Christian Bale provides a welcome contrast, bringing a palpable sorrow to Frank that is genuinely affecting. Beneath the film's excess, he captures the loneliness of a creature who has spent his entire existence searching for acceptance. Their chemistry gives the film an emotional depth the screenplay struggles to achieve.

Meanwhile, Annette Bening does fine work as Dr. Euphronious, bringing a warm eccentricity to the part, while Jake Gyllenhaal is clearly having a ball as a famous movie star idolised by Frank, leaning into the character's theatricality and adding another layer to the film's fascination with performance and identity. Additionally, Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz provide a more grounded presence as detectives pursuing Frank and the Bride, bringing a touch of noir to the film's chaotic world. In smaller roles, Zlatko Buric is appropriately menacing as a mob boss from the Bride’s past, while Louis Cancelmi makes a strong impression as a seedy cop with a fondness for limericks.

Like Victor Frankenstein's own creation, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Bride!’ has been assembled with impressive skill, but lacks a vital spark. Though Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale are terrific, the narrative lets them down. James Whale's ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ became immortal because it found tragedy beneath the spectacle. Gyllenhaal's film has the spectacle in abundance, but struggles to find the same emotional and thematic restraint. In short, ‘The Bride!’ is a beautiful creation that never quite comes to life, leaving one jilted at the cinematic altar.