‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is a twisted teen rom-com in which a deceased bachelor rises from the grave to be with a young outcast.
It’s been said that love is the greatest power and that it can transcend all things — even death. Of course, this is generally a metaphorical statement and no one really expects someone’s love to bring someone back from the dead, no matter how passionate. However, love has persuaded people to do some extreme things, including murder, somehow convinced the act is necessary or will prove their devotion. The results are usually unfavourable and someone is inevitably hurt in the end. In Lisa Frankenstein, a teenage girl accidentally resurrects a century’s old corpse in a forgotten graveyard.
Lisa (Kathryn Newton) is haunted by the brutal death of her mother, even as she moves to a new high school following her dad’s (Joe Chrest) new marriage to the ill-tempered Janet (Carla Gugino). Her stepsister, Taffy (Liza Soberano), is overwhelmingly nice, trying very hard to help Lisa fit in. But Taffy is popular and well-liked, and Lisa is an outcast that likes to hang out in the neglected bachelor’s graveyard. She’s become keenly interested in the resting place of a young man named Frankenstein (Cole Sprouse). Lisa spends hours talking to his memorial bust and leaves him gifts, outwardly wishing she could be with him. But when a lightning storm grants her desire, it’s not exactly everything for which Lisa hoped.
Writer Diablo Cody has a particular way of scripting that relies on a lot of dialogue and frequent cultural references that may fly over some viewers’ heads. However, the best parts of the narrative is when Cody is trying the least to be witty and allowing the tale to unfold naturally. The snappy chatter is appropriate in some instances, but more often than not Cody just gets in her own way of telling the story. That said, Newton does an excellent job delivering her meticulously crafted lines, even though she occasionally fails to persuade audiences of its authenticity.
It’s actually a rather romantic story as Frankenstein comes back to life to be with Lisa, who he mistakenly believes loves him. Conversely, Lisa is flattered by his dedication and committed to helping him regain his humanity by any means necessary (including murder, maiming and embroidery), but is also completely infatuated with a boy at her school. Consequently, Frankenstein becomes very protective of Lisa, and she learns to come out of her shell and embrace her true self. In this way, it’s also an unusual coming-of-age tale with a few more corpses than is typically involved.
It’s unfortunate the movie is so uneven as it had the potential to be another cult classic, like My Boyfriend’s Back or Warm Bodies.
Director: Zelda Williams
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse and Liza Soberano
