Frankenstein
1931 · Movie · Approved · 70 min · ★ 7.5 · 93% critics
A driven scientist assembles a body from stolen parts and uses electricity to spark life, convinced he can conquer nature itself. When the new being awakens, fear and misunderstanding spread, and the experiment spirals into a tense clash between ambition, responsibility, and a community quick to judge what it doesn’t understand.
Based on Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Also known as Frankenstein: Anniversary 75th Edition
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Streaming on YouTube TV — or rent from $3.99.
1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1931
- Release date
- 1931-11-21
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 70 min
- Critic score
- 93/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (1,797 votes)
- Box office
- $12,000,000
- Budget
- $262,007
About
If you enjoy classic gothic horror with a sympathetic creature and big, memorable moments, this is worth a watch, especially if you like The Invisible Man; Not for you if you need modern-level scares or fast, complex storytelling.
Pros: iconic monster portrayal; gothic atmosphere; brisk runtime | Cons: not very scary today; theatrical acting; simple story beats
Themes
- fire
- monster
- experiment
- based on novel or book
- halloween
- reanimation
- laboratory
- mad doctor
- black and white
- pre-code
- body part
- angry mob
- +9 more
Cast & crew
Colin Clive
as Henry Frankenstein
Mae Clarke
as Elizabeth
John Boles
as Victor Moritz
Boris Karloff
as The Monster
Edward Van Sloan
as Doctor Waldman
Frederick Kerr
as Baron Frankenstein
Dwight Frye
as Fritz
Lionel Belmore
as The Burgomaster
Marilyn Harris
as Little Maria
Ted Billings
as Villager (uncredited)
Directed by James Whale