Frankenstein

I believe that Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein should be considered the quintessential film adaptation, as it is true to the source material, captures the essence of the Mary Shelley's novel, and brings to bear the full force of del Toro's cinematic arsenal.  Even if I hadn't heard an interview with del Toro, in which he proclaimed that Shelley's Frankenstein is his Bible, it would have been obvious that he has a great admiration for the book, and his filmography is in the same vein as Shelley's classic.  While I could talk extensively about the effects, sets, cinematography, and all the other technical elements, instead I'd like to focus on the narrative progression:  Just like my recollection of the book, the two main characters develop over the course of the film, in a surprising cross-over that is almost shocking, even if you already know that it's coming.  The performance by Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein (please see proper pronunciation here), and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein's creation, are spot on, with the build-up to the cross-over moment building slowly, and then in a moment our perspective is forced to change.  And, while we are surprised at first, it's not because of any narrative trick, or information that has been withheld, rather it's the preconceived notions that we brought to the theater, that we are now forced to face when presented with the facts.  I was expecting del Toro to get the grotesque visuals, and gothic atmosphere of Frankenstein right (which of course he does), but I assumed that he would take more liberties with the story; to his credit, del Toro recognizes the importance of how the visuals depend on the story, and vice versa, which has resulted in an amazing cinematic realization of Shelly's masterpiece.