Oscar Isaac Says Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN Brings a “Romantic” Touch to the Creation of the Creature
Guillermo del Toro is putting his signature gothic flair on one of literature’s most iconic horror stories with Frankenstein, and Oscar Isaac says fans should expect something very different from the usual lightning-struck laboratory scene.
In the upcoming Netflix film, Isaac stars as Victor Frankenstein, the brilliant but haunted scientist obsessed with creating life from death. Backed by a mysterious arms dealer, played by Christoph Waltz, Victor scours corpses for the perfect parts to build his patchwork creation.
It’s classic del Toro territory with the moody, tactile, and darkly emotional vibe, but Isaac says there’s something uniquely human at the center of this monster tale.
"I actually come from a family of doctors," Isaac told GamesRadar+. "My dad is a doctor, his two brothers are doctors, nurses in the family… I worked in a hospital, I was a transporter in a hospital for a couple years, so I was in that a lot. And so it was interesting to kind of be back there, [in] a much more intense situation."
That personal connection added an unexpected layer of meaning to filming the Creature’s creation, a moment Isaac says wasn’t played as a traditional horror scene at all.
"But also the way it was approached was very romantically; it wasn't approached like your classic kind of horror, lightning everywhere," Isaac explained.
"The making of the Creature is the place where Victor feels most confident and most at ease, and the calmest he ever is, is when he has a focused task to do in the thing that he excels at. And so to do that with Guillermo was really, really beautiful."
Fans of del Toro’s work know how much he values the artistry of collaboration, and Isaac says that spirit defined the entire production.
"Working on a del Toro movie feels like being part of a completely synchronized team," he said. "Everyone feels authorship over their own part and over the whole thing and everyone's invited to bring themselves to it, so there's no whispering in corners. Information is freely available, and I think everyone just feels completely part of the team."
Isaac’s co-star Jacob Elordi, who plays the Creature, echoed that sentiment, describing the filmmaking experience as transformative. "I felt like I was in the beating heart of what making movies is about," Elordi said. "It really was the most full experience I've ever had making a movie."
Between del Toro’s passion for practical effects, Isaac’s emotionally charged take on Victor, and Elordi’s imposing yet soulful presence as the Creature, Frankenstein is a powerful reimagining of the classic tale.
Frankenstein premieres on Netflix on November 7.