‘Lisa Frankenstein’ (2024) Review: A Puzzling Horror Comedy

The new film Lisa Frankenstein is written by Diablo Cody, and her script follows Lisa Swallows (Katherine Newton), who embarks on her “bad boy phase” with a 19th-century, uh, loner known as “The Creature” (Cole Sprouse). The catch is The Creature only comes to life after a searing green thunderbolt touches the ground from an ominous sky. Suddenly, he walks around like a cross between Bud from Day of the Dead and Bill Murray’s cameo in Zombieland.

The not-so-young lad, now somewhat alive and kicking, caught Lisa’s attention because she enjoyed changing at the local unkempt cemetery. Mainly because there’s a monument of his handsome face carved into his gravestone. (How can a girl resist?) It’s a perfect time to rebel and try something different. Especially since Lisa has had a traumatic childhood that has stunted her psychosocial-emotional growth.

As a child, Lisa witnesses her mother being brutally butchered by a hatchet-wielding killer. That’s on top of her father remarrying a Cruella type (the always-welcome Carla Gugino). Her self-involved step-sister Taffy (Make It with You’s Liza Soberano) dedicates her life to helping people because of her title of Miss Hawaiin Tropics. So, she takes comfort with The Creature; he becomes Lisa’s primary support system. They try to create a new path for themselves in life, one body part at a time.

As you may know, Lisa Frankenstein is under the direction of Zelda Williams, the daughter of Hollywood comedic icon Robin Williams. This is her first feature. The overall experience is like going to any restaurant that doesn’t specialize in one thing. It’s a romantic comedy, horror, or coming-of-age tale. As soon as a filmmaker says, “I don’t like to put a label” on said film, I begin to rub my temples in anticipation of a frustrating 90 or so minutes. A movie can be many things, but the exercise is pointless if they don’t work on different levels. 

The problem isn’t that Lisa Frankenstein is a bad movie; it’s far from it. The script and direction are practically begging to be let off their leash. The watered-down 80s metaphor for female trauma (that leads to female empowerment) needed to go big and not look back. Instead, the tone and pace work against each other when dark scenes of brutality shock instead of being gallows. There’s not enough humor in the dark moments for which Williams and Cody strive.

However, for a first-time feature, Zelda Williams has a natural eye for a comedic and visual Gothic flare. She has fun with the decades of nostalgia, full of big hair, shoulder pads, Precious Moments figurines, signature REO Speedwagon ballots, Fuddruckers name drops, and those tasteless Grapenuts. Heck, Williams even has Newton dressing like a carbon copy of a young Bernadette Peters prancing the halls of her school like Tiffany in a mall about to sing “I Think We’re Alone Now.” The director also has an ear for a killer 80s-inspired soundtrack.

The young cast is likable, especially Newton, who continues her ascent to stardom with another interesting film choice. She’s devilishly delightful here and is the main reason to see the film. Sprouse doesn’t utter a complete word but arouses some humorous notes with well-timed grunts and physical comedy. They have some chemistry, but certainly not enough to save the film.

However, while we can appreciate Cody’s words and Williams’s style in capturing Cody’s vision, we cannot be certain that this cinematic union between them and Lisa Frankenstein constitutes a match made in irreverent heaven. The final product feels like two puzzle pieces that just won’t fit. This is a fine first effort for Williams, and her father would be proud. She will undoubtedly learn from the experience as she moves forward in her exciting career.

Lisa Frankenstein is now playing exclusively in theaters courtesy of Focus Features.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POOeA3zCuUY]