Lisa Frankenstein (2024) - Style over substance, but with really good style

Lisa Frankenstein is the feature length directorial debut of Zelda Williams.

From that perspective it's honestly quite impressive. The absolute worst case scenario for works like this is a lack of any strong intent or playing it safe. But I could never describe Lisa Frankenstein that way. 

It is a movie in love with classic horror and B-movie shlock, without cloyingly weaving meta humor into every scene. Instead the majority of its allusions are found in the tone of the script. The hilariously obvious archetypes of the main character and the people at her 80's American High school. Her new vindictive step-mother and uncaring and unavailable father. 

The Main character's past is one of the slasher films final girl, and that manages to not invade the plot once again in some final act twist. 

All of this isn't to say it doesn't eagerly reference many of its influences. One only needs to look at the walls of Lisa's bedroom for posters of these classics, or the assortment of glow in the dark stickers that make the shape of the moon from "Le voyage dans la lune" (1902).

But what impressed me most was the visual style. Coloured lighting is used to absolutely picturesque effect. The poster does not lie about how this film looks even a little. Blasting the main actress with various coloured bulbs from uniquely different angles each shot. 

Never with a refined touch of the avant garde film director dragging the medium into new places. But instead with the sheer fervent excitement that you are allowed to do whatever you want with a movie's aesthetics if you so please. 

The aesthetical stand out is easily a scene early in the film where the titular Lisa has accidentally taken a lot of PCP. After getting assaulted and stumbling home she rests in her bed. Only to be briefly transported to a scene right out of the "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). 

It is such a beautiful dedication, making the world not only just black and white but feel like an illustrated set. I was absolutely star struck by its indulgent beauty, and it could not have been a better way to introduce me to the world this film resides in. A triumph.

But once the dust of the opening has settled and the main course of the film is provided, the cracks start to form. It is a plot that feels excited to hit its stride, but is never able to break into a sprint. The simple summary is that a man from the graveyard Lisa frequents is struck by lightning and revived. He finds her and the two begin to bond, until eventually they begin going on a spree of murders to retrieve fresh parts to replace those that have rotted away on the dead man's body. Each of which slowly restoring him to a more functional status.

While an incredibly exciting idea and quite the pitch, this all truly begins half way throughout the movie. By the end of only the second killing, consequences start to rear their ugly heads and impede Lisa further. So it quickly dovetails into her journey to get laid before she gets sent to prison or kills herself to avoid the oncoming storm. 

And even that is quite unceremoniously resolved as her crush is found sleeping with her step sister and the monster cuts off the man's dick to complete his transformation and allow for a night of pleasure. It really is at this point I feel my distance from the protagonist and I struggle to experience the intended arc of emotions. Because quite simply I never understand what she likes about either man in this situation. And her needs are just seen as self-evident. I am a bisexual woman, this is through no lack of ability that I can’t relate. But the utter lack of likability in each prospect is shocking, and I feel like a better work could at least delve into why the protagonist would be at all interested. 

The initial crush is a supposedly sensitive artist, but of course offers no emotional depth whatsoever and never showcases the ability to feel anything beyond shallow sarcastic retorts. And the other is a monster who becomes increasingly conventionally attractive and thus more boringly standard who doesn’t utter a word. 

In fact the only action the monster offers of his own accord early enough to allow the audience to form opinions on him left me feeling quite repelled. He forces a skimpy dress on the protagonist which she doesn’t exactly feel comfortable with, and refuses access to any other clothes. 

Of course this is done to initiate the nerd to alternative sexy girl transformation of the protagonist, but it is woefully underdeveloped and sudden. It just feels like the plot is telling her that she needs to show off her tits to be happier and confident, and doesn’t seem to recognise the patriarchal disposition of such a display. Instead the pop goth edgy aesthetic that is painted over morphs its apparent intention, but the trick did not work for me. 

The protagonist's overall journey feels so perfunctory and dramatic that it feels like a waste to spend so long justifying it. If the movie instead made her become the self fulfilled sexy murder chick within the first twenty or so minutes then there would be a much broader play ground to have fun with for the rest of the run time. 

If this was just a pulpy problematic but damn fun romp then I could get behind it. But it's a surprisingly slower place and willingness to break down some conventions and focus on the emotional journey makes the sleazy issues that much harder to ignore or accept. 

But despite it all I still did enjoy the film. While it feels at odds with itself, it’s clear that it wants the viewer to have fun more than anything else. I just think its more unscrupulous elements are designed for an audience who are used to and expect these unfortunate social assumptions. 

Though I will take it’s suggestion to enjoy myself to heart and I did just that. But I wish it could be a problematic darling like the things it references. It is no Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s a more grounded and diluted version for people who find the monster hotter at the end of the film than at the beginning. Something I simply can not experience myself.

3/5