Currently playing in US cinemas, and arriving in the UK on Friday 1st March is the comedy horror, Lisa Frankenstein. Directed by Zelda Williams (in her feature-film directing debut), the movie stars Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, and follows the story of a misunderstood teenager named Lisa, who reanimates the corpse of a Victorian-era man.
In the film, the year is 1989 and Lisa Swallows is doing her best to move forward following the recent death of her mother at the hands of an axe murderer. Lisa was in the house when the murder took place, was traumatised as a result, and is now having to deal with a terrible new step-mother after her father rapidly remarried.
Finding little comfort in life, Lisa spends much of her time at the local cemetary, where she hangs around the gravestones, specifically the grave of a man who died in 1837. This is the same gravestone which gets struck by lighting one night and revives the deceased man as a walking corpse-like creature.
This creature then seeks out Lisa, and the two develop a friendship. This friendship is further cemented when the creature kills Lisa’s stepmother, and Lisa starts working on ways to transform him into a normal looking human.
Taking its name from an amalgamation of the iconic Lisa Frank brand and Mary Shelley’s classic story, Frankenstein, Lisa Frankenstein is a quirky romp for the late-night movie lovers. It is the sort of film which would have been popular at midnight screenings during the 1980s, or would have caught the attention of the teen crowd at the video store in the 1990s.
It’s daft, it’s a lot of nonsense, and it is very much a homage to ’80s teen movies. Lisa Frankenstein captures the vibe of that decade very well, and is loaded with Lycra, crimped hair, and power ballads.
Is it fun? Yes, however, it doesn’t always work as intended, and does suffer from some pacing issues and a lack of depth. That said, Lisa Frankenstein has ‘future cult classic’ written all over it and despite it currently bombing in the US, there will be an audience for this in the not-too-distant future, I guarantee it.
Personally, I like what Lisa Frankenstein has to offer. The story isn’t original, but the film is campy and playful in all the right ways, and Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse are great as Lisa and ‘The Creature’ respectively.
There’s an early Tim Burton feel to the picture, with a bit of John Hughes thrown in for good measure, and if this sounds right up your street, then I expect Lisa Frankenstein will work for you. Director Zelda Williams perfectly captures the ’80s setting, and writer Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body), conjures up the right spirit.
The movie isn’t quite as funny it could be, with the humour mostly coming from the absurdity of the premise, but it’s fun in the same way the early ’90s Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie is fun. It’s not for everyone, but those who like it will have a good time.
Lisa Frankenstein is bonkers and often farcical, but it does everything with its tongue firmly in cheek and this makes it harmless and likeable. It doesn’t always feel fully formed, but the general aesthetic, including the production design, helps to cover up some of the problems and the lead stars are on fine form.
Lisa Frankenstein has the makings of a sleepover classic. I liked it very much, and maybe you will too.
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