Staff Writer Marta Bueno Arcos considers The Bride!: a wildly spun, genre-blurring take on the story of the Bride and her Frankenstein.
When The Bride! hit cinemas on March 6th, I was eager to see what Maggie Gyllenhaal could do with a story so iconic it practically defines gothic horror. Yet, the film quickly revealed itself as something far stranger: a dizzyingly theatrical, genre-hopping story that leaves you unsure whether to be charmed, disturbed, or both.
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the film stars Jessie Buckley as the Bride and Christian Bale as Frank, a lonely version of Frankenstein’s monster who has spent more than a century wandering the world alone. The film begins with Mary Shelley herself, played by Buckley who graces the screen in striking black-and-white sequences. Claiming that the true continuation of her story was never properly finished, Shelley appears to guide the narrative from beyond the grave. Soon after, her spirit possesses a woman named Ida, whose death eventually leads to her resurrection as Frank’s long-awaited companion.
Once she wakes up, she remembers almost nothing about her previous life. From there, Frankenstein and his ‘bride’ begin a chaotic journey that feels part crime story, part road movie, and part existential search for identity. The film’s plotlines are in disarray, so much so that following every subplot almost feels optional, as you’re swept along by the energy rather than the logic.
Watching The Bride! felt like being pulled through several different films at once. At various points, the film introduces mobsters, detectives, shootouts, car chases, and even musical sequences that seem to appear out of nowhere. There is also a strong fascination with cinema throughout the film. Frank’s obsession with an old Hollywood star seemingly blurs the boundaries between movies and reality.
At times, I found myself unsure whether I was completely following what was happening; however, I suspect that might be intentional. The Bride! is the kind of film that prioritises mood and spectacle over narrative clarity, which can feel disorienting but keeps the experience interesting. I would honestly rather leave the cinema slightly confused but intrigued than leave it feeling completely indifferent.
Jessie Buckley is undoubtedly the film’s driving force. Her performance shifts between multiple versions of a similar character. She manages to make Ida, the Bride, and the lingering voice of Mary Shelley all feel distinctly unique. There is a wild, almost theatrical energy to her portrayal that perfectly matches the film’s unpredictable tone. Christian Bale’s Frank provides an interesting contrast. Beneath layers of makeup, his monster is less frightening than he is deeply lonely. His relationship with the Bride is awkward, sometimes darkly funny, and occasionally touching.
Their mixture of gothic romance and strange humour appears consistently throughout the film. However, the narrative does struggle under the weight of its many ideas. Subplots, including a growing feminist movement inspired by the Bride’s rebellion, sometimes feel underdeveloped compared to the central relationship. Despite this, The Bride! is far from dull. Visually, the film is striking, moving between shadowy gothic imagery and vibrant set pieces. Costumes, cinematography, and musical moments give it a distinctive personality, even when the narrative becomes chaotic.
It also arrives at a moment when cinema seems drawn to revisiting literary classics, such as Hamnet (2026) or a modernized Wuthering Heights (2026). Frankenstein has been adapted countlessly, from Universal’s iconic 1931 Frankenstein and its 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein, to Guillermo del Toro’s recent reinterpretation in 2025. The Bride! shifts the focus to the Bride herself, a character who barely existed before. Her story is grounded in 1930s Chicago with a public obsessed with “monsters,” giving the story a strangely rooted context, even as the narrative spins wildly elsewhere.
Leaving the cinema, I couldn’t decide if I had been entertained or exhausted. The Bride! is messy and overwhelming, piling up monsters, mobsters, detectives, musical interludes, and meta-cinematic flourishes until it sometimes feels like too much. Penelope Cruz’s brief but compelling presence in the detectives’ subplot adds moral tension and human stakes, though it sometimes gets lost amid the spectacle. The film’s ambition is undeniable, and its imagination is striking, but I left the theatre with the sense that its intensity sometimes tips into excess rather than brilliance.
Ultimately, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film feels less like a traditional adaptation and more like a cinematic experiment. It may not appeal to everyone, and it certainly won’t satisfy viewers expecting a straightforward monster story. But for those willing to embrace its strange energy, The Bride! becomes a chaotic and memorable ride.
Honestly, sometimes that kind of cinematic madness is exactly what makes a film worth watching.