Outside of limited festival and theatrical screenings, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” has yet to see a wide release. The gothic horror film won’t be seen by much of the public until its official streaming drop on November 7, and Netflix has been far from generous in sharing clear images of what the titular scientist’s creation actually looks like. As scholars of “Frankenstein” history are often quick to point out, Frankenstein isn’t the name of the monster but rather the man who created him. In both the original 1818 novel and 2025 film, the monster is referred to only as “the creature.”
In the movie, which has already garnered significant critical acclaim and is even being called the best screen adaptation of the story to date, Oscar Isaac plays the titular mad scientist, Mia Goth is the woman he desires, and in one of his best roles to date, Jacob Elordi transforms into the creature that Frankenstein pieces together from dead bodies and reanimates into a new, self-aware being. Very little of the creature has been shown thus far — but even if crystal clear images were available, it would be impossible to know that Elordi is the one under all those prosthetics.
Jacob Elordi is unrecognizable as the iconic creature
Jacob Elordi wasn’t the original actor in line to play the creature in “Frankenstein.” Andrew Garfield got replaced by Elordi when “The Amazing Spider-Man” star was unable to find a place for “Frankenstein” in his schedule following the end of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Although some fans were angered by the decision — and there’s no question that the very talented Garfield would’ve been great in the role — Elordi gives a career-defining performance that will silence naysayers. The impressive prosthetics that physically transform him obviously do some of the work, but the heavy lifting comes from Elordi himself in how he actually talks, moves, and behaves as the monster.
Elordi’s breakthrough performances were in HBO’s “Euphoria” and the Netflix rom-com “The Kissing Booth.” But over the last few years, the actor’s filmography has bulked up significantly, with his portrayals of Elvis Presley in “Priscilla” and Felix Catton in “Saltburn” bringing greater attention and acclaim to the performer. And with “Frankenstein” on the way to Netflix, the Guillermo del Toro-directed effort will add yet another role to Elordi’s ever-expanding repertoire of noteworthy credits.