--- title: "Bride of Frankenstein" year: 1935 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bride-of-frankenstein" fi1m_score: 89 critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 14 published: "2026-09-16T11:34:48.487874+00:00" updated: "2026-09-16T11:34:50.257127+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Directed by James Whale · 1h 15m · MPA NR · Horror, Science Fiction **Fi1m score: 89** · Critics 86 from 14 reviews *In a sentence:* The monster needs a friend, and the scientists need considerably less encouragement > James Whale makes room for laughter without treating the creature as a joke. Boris Karloff and Ernest Thesiger make this an unusually moving horror sequel, though Elsa Lanchester deserves more of its 75 minutes. ## Synopsis Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Elsa Lanchester) introduces a further chapter in the story of Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and The Monster (Boris Karloff). The business of creating life draws Henry into the company of Doctor Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), whose plans involve a mate for the creature. Another experiment promises to add a second being to the first, without settling what the scientists owe either of them. Henry’s work and The Monster’s needs become competing concerns as the story returns to the men making life and the creature who must live it. ## Review James Whale understands how ridiculous the business of making people can look, and lets us laugh without losing interest in the people being made. *Bride of Frankenstein* is an excellent horror sequel, strange, funny and tender enough to make its cruelty hurt. Its 75 minutes accommodate Gothic menace, a scientist who seems to be enjoying himself far too much, and a creature whose feelings matter. The shifts can be abrupt, but he usually knows when to stop the joking. The opening gives Elsa Lanchester the role of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, framing the story before the horrors resume. That decision makes room for playfulness from the start: someone is telling this tale, and the film lets us notice the telling. The screenplay by Edmund Pearson and William Hurlbut puts horror, satire and whimsy alongside one another without apologising for the changes. For a sequel, that is a welcome ambition; repeating the familiar fright would have been easier. Boris Karloff supplies the reason to care when the film becomes most peculiar. His Monster has speech, but the emotion does not depend simply on being able to explain himself; the actor gives the creature’s demands a child’s urgency without making him harmless. We were moved by the effort in his speaking, because getting words out does so little to make him seem less isolated. The performance permits neediness, anger and the possibility of violence to occupy the same moment. Pity never requires us to forget that he is dangerous. Ernest Thesiger makes Doctor Pretorius so entertaining that his interest in creation begins to seem a particularly unhealthy hobby. His flamboyance suits a film willing to let its scientists look absurd, and he makes the absurdity faintly threatening. Colin Clive plays Henry Frankenstein at a much more feverish pitch, which can become wearing beside his fellow doctor’s assurance. That agitation also gives the experiments a useful sense of human strain: Henry makes scientific obsession look exhausting. John J. Mescall’s expressionist photography makes the Gothic settings feel oppressive even when the acting invites laughter. The sets do not become harmless simply because somebody in them is funny, and their exaggeration gives Doctor Pretorius somewhere his theatrical behaviour belongs. Franz Waxman’s music helps sustain the feeling through these changes of tone, keeping the creature’s unhappiness present amid the macabre entertainment. Ted J. Kent’s editing keeps the crowded mixture moving, though some transitions have more energy than grace. The chief reservation concerns Elsa Lanchester: the film gives her too little space. She has the precision to hold our attention without the busy display around her, and we wanted longer to watch her work. Some of James Whale’s broader humour also presses too hard, particularly beside Boris Karloff’s patient attention to the creature’s feelings. A running time this short is not an automatic virtue when a performance we want to follow gets crowded out. Horror sequels often give a familiar creature extra victims and call that development. James Whale takes the more interesting route of letting his Monster speak, which makes us listen to someone we might otherwise have been content to fear. There is nothing dutiful about the sympathy; Boris Karloff earns it while the film carries on being peculiar and entertaining. Give this one an evening even if old laboratory horrors are not usually your choice. *Fi1m score 89, published 16 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The consensus is firmly positive: all fourteen reviews praise James Whale’s sequel, and several judge it an improvement on the original Frankenstein. Praise centres on Whale’s handling of horror, macabre humour and sympathy for the creature, supported by Gothic sets, expressive photography and inventive art direction. Boris Karloff’s emotional depth draws repeated admiration, while Ernest Thesiger’s flamboyant Pretorius and Elsa Lanchester’s performance give the critics plenty to enjoy beyond the monster himself. The differences are chiefly in enthusiasm and emphasis, rather than substantial objections. Some reviews concentrate on satire, camp and subversion; others stress the creature’s humanity and the story’s moral complexity. Variety supplies the clearest reservation, wishing the Bride had more screen time despite admiring Lanchester’s work. The praise ranges from warm approval to much stronger enthusiasm, but there is no negative dissent among these reviews. ### Reviews we read (14) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): James Whale's extravagantly produced sequel ranks as one of horrordom's greatest achievements, with wittily eccentric direction, Elsa Lanchester's electric hairdo, Ernest Thesiger's ingenious Dr Pretorius and Boris Karloff's poignant yet pushy monster. Some scenes, like the unveiling of the bride, are of emphatic classic status. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-n6d0ks/bride-of-frankenstein/) - **Vulture** (95/100, inferred): The critic ranks Bride of Frankenstein as the top Frankenstein film overall, highlighting its exciting and haunting take on the mythos with rich story, queer subtext, pathos, hysteria and a classic feast for the senses in its climactic scene. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/best-frankenstein-movies.html) - **Empire**, Simon Braund (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the most beguiling American films ever made, outstripping the original Frankenstein in invention, visual splendour, humour, subversion and subtle characterisations. They single out the performances of Karloff, Lanchester and Thesiger, along with the art direction, cinematography and Whale's deft direction blending horror, satire and whimsy. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-bride-frankenstein-review/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert praises it as the best of the Frankenstein films, a sly subversive masterpiece of art direction that blends satire, excitement and humor while allowing the Monster more depth and speech. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-bride-of-frankenstein) - **The AV Club** (90/100, inferred): The critic ranks Bride of Frankenstein as the best in the Frankenstein series for being stranger, funnier and more beautiful than its predecessor, praising its oddball touches like the Mary Shelley framing device and the melancholy ending. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/frankenstein-run-the-series) - **The New York Times** (90/100, inferred): The review calls it a first-rate horror film with excellent direction by Whale, strong performances especially from Karloff as the Monster, and effective settings, photography and makeup. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1935/05/11/archives/at-the-roxy.html) - **Time Out**, GA (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a tremendous sequel with a clever prologue, macabre humour and sense of parody. Strong on atmosphere, Gothic sets and expressionist camerawork, it is one of Whale's most perfectly realised movies and a delight from start to finish. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bride-of-frankenstein) - **Los Angeles Times**, Susan King (80/100, inferred): King describes the film as one of the rare cases where the sequel is even better than the original, highlighting its entertaining blend of horror and humor along with strong documentary extras on the DVD. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-21-ca-24508-story.html) - **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): The piece presents the film as a wild ride that mixes classical and gutter elements with camp and serious tones. It highlights Karloff's returning monster with dialogue, Clive's hysterical doctor, Thesiger's flamboyant Pretorius, and Lanchester's iconic bride. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/22/bride-frankenstein) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): The review finds it a romp with Karloff investing the Monster with real emotion and touching moments, Thesiger diabolically effective as Pretorius, and Lanchester impressive in her dual roles, though more time could have been spent on the Bride. [Read](https://variety.com/1934/film/reviews/bride-of-frankenstein-1200411087/) - **Den of Geek**, Tim George (90/100, inferred): The film is an improvement over its predecessor in every respect, with a more complex story, more dynamic direction, and a colourful cast. Karloff’s Monster and Thesiger’s Pretorius stand out as highlights in one of the darkest, funniest, and most unique horror films ever made. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/revisiting-universal-s-frankenstein-movies/) - **Paste**, Jim Vorel (90/100, inferred): The critic calls Bride of Frankenstein one of the greatest horror sequels ever made and James Whale’s magnum opus, a more polished and ambitious film than the original with dynamic direction and iconic imagery. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/best-horror-movie-of-1935-bride-of-frankenstein-karloff) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's exploration of clashing Gothic themes and praises Elsa Lanchester's stunning performance as the Bride for her nuanced gestures and agency. It commends the iconic costuming, production design, and score while noting the moral complexity and sympathetic portrayal of the creature. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/bride-of-frankenstein-1935-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **Film Stories**, Sarah Cook (80/100, inferred): The piece celebrates the sequel's deeper dive into morality and the creation of the Bride, singling out Elsa Lanchester's memorable performance and the film's iconic imagery and effects as reshaping horror cinema. It views both films as enduring classics with powerful contrasts between terror and humanity. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/frankenstein-and-the-bride-of-frankenstein-two-of-the-horror-genres-most-durable-iconic-stories/) ## Details - **Director:** James Whale - **Director:** James Whale - **Screenplay:** Edmund Pearson, William Hurlbut - **Story:** Robert Florey - **Cinematography:** John J. Mescall - **Editor:** Ted J. Kent - **Music:** Franz Waxman - **Costume design:** Vera West - **Producer:** Carl Laemmle Jr. - **Cast:** Boris Karloff as The Monster; Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein; Valerie Hobson as Elizabeth; Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Pretorius; Elsa Lanchester as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate; Gavin Gordon as Lord Byron; Douglas Walton as Percy Bysshe Shelley; Una O'Connor as Minnie - **Runtime:** 1h 15m - **Certificate (MPA):** NR - **Release (the US):** 20 April 1935 - **Genres:** Horror, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $393,750 - **Box office:** $2 million ## Where to watch in the US - Peacock: streaming, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AR, AU, BE, CA, CH, CL, CO, EC, FR, GB, IE, IL, JP, MX, NZ, PA, PE, SG, TH, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1936: Best Sound (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Old Dark House* (1932): James Whale lets frightened guests and strange hosts make each other worse. - *La Belle et la Bête* (1946): Another feared creature invites sympathy, with fairy-tale rooms worth lingering in. - *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: A child’s encounter with *Frankenstein* opens a quieter, troubling story about fear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md) - *Young Frankenstein* (1974): The laboratory gets a thorough comic inspection, without losing affection for its monster. - *The Devil's Backbone* (2001): A ghost story whose compassion survives its cruelty, with children carrying the burden. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/bride-of-frankenstein