15 Alternative Frankenstein Films: From Frankenhooker to Frankenweenie
While Guillermo del Toro’s film is the latest in a long line of direct adaptations, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has also been the basis of countless spoofs, pastiches, and wild reimaginings.
by Alex Secilmis 15 November 2025
From Frankenhooker to Frankenweenie
15 Alternative Frankenstein Films:
With her 1818 novel, Mary Shelley created an archetypal horror story that has been done to death, revived, and done to death again. Even direct, more traditional adaptations like Guillermo del Toro’s version have taken extensive liberties with the source material, but cinema has also reanimated Frankenstein’s monster as a bull terrier, an amalgam of sex workers, and a muscle-man with blond hair and a tan.
Dissecting these alternative adaptations, we’ve assembled an unnatural list of 15 monstrous movies, featuring everything from an Oscar-winning Emma Stone performance to a cult movie musical, to add to your watchlist.
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
© Focus Features
A criminally underseen horror rom-com, Zelda Williams’ directorial debut is a morbid, hilarious, and heartfelt love story between a high-school misfit (Kathryn Newton) and an undead Victorian gentleman (Cole Sprouse) who go on a murder spree. With the acerbic humour and visual flair of an early Tim Burton film, Lisa Frankenstein is a throwback for more than just its 1989 setting, and to add to the charm, it marks Diablo Cody’s second off-kilter genre film after penning Jennifer’s Body.
Frankenweenie (2012)
© Disney
Speaking of Burton, the auteur has given us not one but three Frankenstein films, two of which reimagine Victor Frankenstein as a young boy who brings his beloved bull terrier back from the dead. A black-and-white stop-motion fantasy with a stellar voice cast (Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau), Frankenweenie pays tribute to a host of monster movies as well as the cinematic iconography of Shelley’s monster. A turtle becomes a kaiju, a hamster becomes a mummy, and a poodle gets an electric shock that creates a streak of white in her hair à la Bride of Frankenstein.
Frankenweenie (1984)
© Disney
While many will know the 2012 full-length feature, Burton actually made Frankenweenie as a 30-minute live-action short during his time at Disney in the early 80s. Ironically, the studio fired the now world-famous director for making a kids’ film that was too scary for kids. Fun fact: Shelley Duvall, who plays Victor’s mother, is in part responsible for Burton’s career—she recommended him to Paul Reubens for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
© 20th Century Studios
In the unrivalled queer cult classic, the longest-running theatrical release in movie history, sweet transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) makes a blond hunk to whet his lurid appetites. There’s much more going on: a young couple is seduced by an alien, a motorcyclist awakens from a deep freeze, and, not to mention, it’s a glam rock musical.
Frankenhooker (1990)
© Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment
“Wanna date?” After his fiancée (Patty Mullen) is decapitated in a freak lawnmower accident, a med school dropout (James Lorinz) resurrects her by sticking together the body parts of prostitutes. A flop upon release, Frank Henenlotter’s black comedy has gradually grown a cult following.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
© 20th Century Studios
Burton calls his other Frankenstein story his most personal film. Johnny Depp plays the titular character, the unfinished creation of the Inventor (Vincent Price), who moves from his German Expressionist castle to pastel-coloured suburbia. A surreal exploration of the Other, this tragic fairytale follows Edward as he is objectified and then ostracised by an absurd vision of small-town America.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
© Universal
James Whale’s sequel to his 1931 film, Frankenstein, extrapolates on a subplot in Shelley’s novel. While the monster’s partner only exists as Victor's abandoned project in the book, this campy horror classic has cemented the Bride as an indelible part of the Frankenstein iconography. Kate Hawley, the costume designer for Guillermo del Toro’s new adaptation, made the bandaged sleeves of Elizabeth’s (Mia Goth) wedding dress in homage to the costume worn by Elsa Lanchester in Whale’s film.
Poor Things (2023)
© Searchlight Pictures
In Yorgos Lanthimos’ adaptation of the Alasdair Gray novel, Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected in the most peculiar circumstances: after she commits suicide while pregnant, a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) replaces her brain with that of her unborn child. The madcap setup sets the stage for a bizarre coming-of-age fable defined by pitch-black humour and steampunk production design.
Ex Machina (2014)
© A24, Universal
Modern technological developments have placed a new monster at the heart of the Frankenstein story. Before Oscar Isaac played Shelley’s mad scientist, he starred in Alex Garland’s directorial debut as the creator of an AI humanoid robot named Ava. The result is a gripping thriller with both weighty themes and nail-biting set pieces (and some noteworthy dancing courtesy of Isaac).
Weird Science (1985)
© Universal
After watching the 1931 James Whale film, two unpopular teenage boys make their dream woman, who first appears to them in panties and a crop top as Colin Clive from Bride of Frankenstein declares “She’s alive. Alive!” on a TV monitor. Yes, this is John Hughes’ take on Frankenstein, and alongside the central premise of incels making themselves an attractive woman, there are many thoroughly problematic moments, as to be expected from the writer-director’s 80s oeuvre. Points for the superb Oingo Boingo title song.
Blackenstein (1973)
© Prestige Pictures
In an experiment gone wrong, a wounded war veteran is transformed into a lumbering monster. William A. Levey’s film was made hot on the heels of 1972’s Blacula, and while it attempted to cash in on the popularity of that film, it fails to deliver Blaxploitation horror fun.
Re-Animator (1985)
© Empire International Pictures
A Frankenstein film by way of an H.P. Lovecraft short story, Stuart Gordon’s film follows Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), a medical student who develops a serum to revive the dead. Like Frankenhooker, the gory horror comedy struggled at the box office before finding a cult audience and spawning sequels Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator. Points for Barbara Crampton’s performance, the Psycho-inspired score, and the poster’s outrageous tagline: Herbert West has a good head on his shoulders… and another one on his desk.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
© RLJE
In a compelling update, Bomani J. Story’s directorial debut filters the story through the lens of gang violence and police brutality. After her brother (Denzel Whitaker) is murdered, 17-year-old genius Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes) resurrects him, only to find a vengeful monster in her brother’s place. Story explains that he related to Shelley’s story by substituting Victor losing his mother—a driving force for the character—with the systemic violence experienced by the black community.
Lady Frankenstein (1971)
© Alexia Films
In this rather loose Italian adaptation, Frankenstein’s clever, horny daughter (Rosalba Neri) continues her father’s work for more scandalous purposes. As the tagline reads, Only the monster she made could satisfy her strange desires!
Young Frankenstein (1974)
© 20th Century Studios
One of the most celebrated comedies of all time, Mel Brooks’ parody follows the zany exploits of Frankenstein’s grandson (Gene Wilder) and the hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman). It’s the Frankenstein adaptation that bravely did what no version had done before: explicitly and repeatedly refer to the size of the monster’s penis.