The title alone is what drew me into this movie. Lisa Frankenstein. Without even knowing what to expect, I figured it was going to be an off-beat blast. I was right. Set in the 80s, this love story features Kathryn Newton as Lisa, a misunderstood teenager. Her mom was the victim of an axe murderer, her dad (Joe Chrest) fell in love soon after, and she’s in an totally new environment with a stepmom (Carla Gugino) she despises and a bubbly, sweet stepsister (Liza Soberano). She finds solace in a nearby, rundown graveyard and one tombstone in particular.
And that tombstone belongs to “The Creature”, brought back from the dead and played by Cole Sprouse who communicates with gestures and grunts. But of course Lisa totally gets him. Together, the go on a journey to kill, gather body parts, and make him whole again…with the help of a tanning bed and some sewing skills.
A new school her high school crush, who happens to be a handsome corpse. After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness… and a few missing body parts along the way.
It’s a little bit bloody, a little bit gross. But there are actually more “awwws” than “ewwws” in this movie and the combination of these emotions make Lisa Frankenstein a one-of-a-kind love story that is to die for! Plus you’ll swoon over the vibrant color patterns that scream 1980s!
If you grew up loving Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Heathers, this movie will warm your heart and drown you in nostalgia. You’ll be taken back to a time before you could text your friends for help or Google “how to sew a new hand on to a corpse”.
Directed by Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody (so if you dig Jennifer’s Body, you’ll like this too)- Lisa Frankenstein is a no brainer.
Philadelphia RowHome Magazine's Blog 