“Lisa Frankenstein,” written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams, raises ‘80s references from the dead, threading together comedy, romance and horror for a unique movie mashup that almost makes a great movie.
The protagonist, Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton), falls in love with the marble bust gravestone of a Victorian-esque man as she adjusts to a new life shortly after a masked man gruesomely murders her mom.
Everyone in Swallows’ life seems to move on from the tragedy, as her dad (Joe Chrest) remarried, and they now live with her stepmother (Carla Gugino) and stepsister, Taffy (Liza Soberano).
Set in a small suburban town in 1989, the movie is stuffed with references and resemblances of “Edward Scissorhands,” “Heathers” and “Beetlejuice.” From the pink suburban home to the black lace clothes, the blend of Gothic aesthetics and pops of vibrant colors makes for an eye-catching scene.
However, the overbearing references to cult classics bury the much-needed substance for this film to live up to its predecessors.
The movie’s bones were there — a spunky cast and Cody’s Oscar-winning crass writing, as seen in “Jennifer’s Body” and “Juno” — but the characterization of Swallows was not fleshed out enough for the movie to be genuinely compelling.
Swallows just experienced a tragic loss, goes partying with Taffy and then goes on a killing spree with her undead lover; there is no real rhyme or reason for this series of events, leaving viewers feeling like maybe they missed a step. They didn’t. The movie fails to keep a cohesive story.
The basic concept of the story is interesting and worth diving into; Swallows falling in love with a dead guy and slowly bringing him back to life is a compelling twist on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” because it adds troubled teen romance into the classic literature story.
However, this poorly stitched-together storyline leaves viewers wanting more. The film would’ve greatly benefited from devoting screen time to Swallows’ inner dialogue, given she is the center point of the film.
Newton’s acting is spot-on for the character. Portraying the character with an eccentric style and funky walk, Newton continues to kill in the horror-comedy drama, as she did in the 2020 film, “Freaky.”
Soberano’s performance of Taffy refreshingly defies the stereotypes of the preppy cheerleader role; she is sweet and caring in her attempts to involve her new step-sister in various social activities.
Gugino’s performance of the psycho-stepmother is also well-executed. Even though she’s just a side character, the complexity of the insensitive psych nurse adds to the dynamic of the dysfunctional family.
Even Cole Sprouse’s performance of a speechless corpse was more impressive than the fast-paced and jumbled storyline of the movie.
On the other hand, the screenwriting is able to keep the audience’s attention with diluted dirty jokes — they’re just crude enough to earn a stifled giggle.
The PG-13 rating takes away from the humor and limits the elaboration of the seemingly dark nature of the characters. This film might have had more potential if it had been written as an R-rated movie.
Much like the uncanny corpse played by Sprouse, too many essential parts were missing for this movie to be a fully sensational experience.
“Lisa Frankenstein” premiered Feb. 9 and is in theaters now.