The Bride reinvents a classic monster with a punk rock energy

Christian Bale as Frankenstein's Monster and Jessie Buckley as The Bride - Courtesy of Warner Bros.

For her latest feature in a directing role, Maggie Gyllenhaal reinvents a classic monster and takes huge swings in the process with The Bride. Set in 1930s Chicago and then New York, her movie centers a character that is immensely popular among horror fans, but who has been given very little screen time or her own narrative arc. For instance, in James Whale's 1935 Universal film The Bride of Frankenstein, the title character only appears near the end of the movie, yet it's Elsa Lanchester's iconic performance that we remember most about that film. In Mary Shelley's novel, Victor Frankenstein never actually creates a companion for the Monster, even though it's the one thing his creation asks him to do, with the promise that he'll stop killing once he has a mate.

Gyllenhaal's movie is very much in conversation with Shelley's fiction and the Frankenstein universe more broadly, to the point that Jessie Buckley doubles as both the Bride and Shelley, echoing the beginning of Whale's film in which Lanchester also plays the Romantic period author and the Bride. Buckley's version of Shelley, however, is much more forceful and makes clear this is going to be a feminist tale, and indeed it is.

Before the Bride, there was Ida. Early in the runtime, she hangs out with mobsters and crocked cops. She's then murdered by one of the goons, after he punches her and knocks her down the stairs. It's a visceral scene that underscores the violence men have done to Ida throughout her life. After that harrowing sequence, we're introduced to Frankenstein's Monster, played by Christian Bale. Ultimately, Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) agrees to rejuvenate a corpse and make a companion for the incredibly lonely creature in part because she's interested in the science. Prior to that, the characters have some funny banter, with an awareness of Shelley's novel.

Bale certainly puts his own spin on the Monster. At times, he's subdued and softspoken, but never the lumbering giant that Boris Karloff made famous in the early Universal monster movies. On the other hand, there are moments when the creature murders and lashes out, but it's typically warranted and often in defense of his beloved. Oh, and he loves going to the movies and has an obsession with an actor named Ronnie Reed, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. It's a quirky and oddly endearing aspect of this Monster's story, though its purpose seems less clear other than some added visual flair when the director imitates the silent film era.

As good as Bale is in the film, this is all Buckley's movie. She's phenomenal in the role and commands the audience's gaze. She's explosive, unpredictable, and a thrill to watch on screen. This is about her character discovering her identity, including who she was before she died. She refuses to be anyone's bride and let anyone else define her, though she certainly shows her own kind of twisted love for the creature. After a club scene early in the movie, the two embark on a road trip, sometimes murdering along the way, often as a means to escape the mob. Think Bonnie and Clyde, only with these two famous monsters.

Visually and tonally, the film is a mish mash of styles, which sometimes clash. For example, black and white sequences pay tribute to the Universal monsters. That makes sense, but near the midway point, there's a sudden dance scene. Yes, a dance scene. It's cool to watch but feels out of place. That said, the monster designs are memorable, especially the Bride's wild white hair, stained face, red dress, torn stockings, and red boots. I suspect her face will be on t-shirts soon and inspire cosplay at future horror conventions. Bale also looks good in the make-up, including the stitches, rotting flesh, and eventual tattoos that pay tribute to his character's beloved.

Additionally, Gyllenhaal crams a lot of ideas into the movie and not all of them land. For instance, Shelley continually resurfaces and possesses the Bride. It's fine in the opening but not as much later in the movie. There's also a subplot regarding a mob boss who puts a hit out on the Bride, but it feels like an undercooked thread. There's another narrative regarding two detectives, including Penelope Cruz's Myrna, who fights against sexism on the police force. All of this makes the movie drag at times, as it creeps by the two-hour mark. There's simply too much going on.

While The Bride has its flaws, Gyllenhaal has to be given credit for all she tried to do in this film. No, not all of it works, and yes, at times the movie drags, but her ambition deserves accolades. This is a movie that interrogates monstrosity, while having a broader conversation with the Frankenstein universe, including Shelley's novel and depictions of the Bride in previous movies. Buckley gives a knock-out performance. Her version of the Bride is unrestrained, deadly, sexual, and always intriguing. This is her movie, through and through, with a punk rock spirit and feminist bite.

The Bride is currently playing in theaters.

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