--- title: "Gods and Monsters: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/gods-and-monsters/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/gods-and-monsters" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # Gods and Monsters (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly positive, and nearly all of them come back to Ian McKellen. His James Whale is the reason most critics give for seeing the film, with several calling it the performance that carries everything around it. Brendan Fraser’s gardener draws warmer notice than expected, and Bill Condon’s use of flashbacks to Whale’s past, along with his variations on the Frankenstein films, is credited with giving the character study its shape. The spread is narrow; the disagreement is over how much the film beyond McKellen amounts to. The Los Angeles Times finds the rest does not match his subtlety, Variety doubts the historical fiction in the final stretch, and The Guardian notes some clumsy exposition while placing it below Sunset Boulevard. Roger Ebert calls it good-hearted rather than deep. The warmest notices, from The New Yorker and The New York Times, treat it as a resonant portrait of gay Hollywood in Whale’s era. ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 1998. The film is an engrossing look at the final days of James Whale, draped in the angular landscape of his own horror films. It offers a witty portrait of Hollywood where monsters and gods become indistinguishable after a few Martinis. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/11/09/father-of-the-bride) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 1998. Ian McKellen delivers a richly memorable performance as the urbane gay director James Whale in this touching character study. The film creates a deeply resonant portrait of Whale and the gay Hollywood of his era through well-chosen glimpses of the past. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/04/movies/film-review-the-urbane-gay-father-of-frankenstein.html) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises the film as a meticulous adaptation rooted in the final days of James Whale, highlighting Ian McKellen's Oscar-worthy performance as the director and Brendan Fraser's surprising depth in the supporting role. It singles out the perfectly played central relationship and the emotional, fantasy-tinged finale for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/gods-monsters-review/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. Ian McKellen dominates as James Whale in this adaptation of the novel about the director's final days. The film benefits from Brendan Fraser's performance and Bill Condon's integration of themes via flashbacks to Whale's past. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/gods-and-monsters-1798195016) ## The Guardian — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 1999. The critic views the film as a wry, disillusioned portrait of old Hollywood's grandeur and misery, comparable to Sunset Boulevard but not quite its equal. He singles out the performances, particularly Ian McKellen's, and the evocative visuals for praise, while noting some expository clumsiness in the script. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian/0,,37601,00.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 1998. Ian McKellen gives an astonishing performance as James Whale that reaches a new plateau, even if the rest of the film does not match its subtlety. The film mixes humor and pathos with flashbacks but is elevated primarily by its lead actor. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-04-ca-39080-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 1998. The film is a good-hearted speculation on the final days of director James Whale, centered on his unlikely friendship with a young gardener. It is not deep or powerful but evokes the depth of early loss and California openness. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gods-and-monsters-1998) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 1999. The film offers a thoughtful and entertaining dramatic portrait of James Whale in his final weeks, focusing on his interactions with his gardener. It brings a memorable creation to life through strong performances and clever variations on Frankenstein metaphors. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/73) ## Time Out — NB Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This fictionalised biographical tribute to James Whale features superb performances, especially from Ian McKellen, and lucid echoes of Frankenstein themes. It is warm and clever, if not complicated. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/gods-and-monsters-1) ## Variety — Dennis Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 1998. Festival review. Ian McKellen's brilliant performance highlights this engrossing psychological drama drawn from Christopher Bram's novel, though the historical fiction does not always convince in the final stretch. It is an imaginatively executed bit of gamesmanship that will need strong marketing to cross over. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/gods-and-monsters-1200452505/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/gods-and-monsters.md