User reviews

Lisa Frankenstein is one of those films that I don't like as much as I had hoped I would upon the first viewing, but I like it more and more every time that I see it. In that respect it is similar to Beetlejuice for me personally. A totally campy film with a lot of things that don't make sense or aren't fully explained; it feels like there are some deleted scenes that should have been left in, but maybe they were concerned about the film running too long and kept it short and simple.

Kathryn Newton gives an excellent performance as the main character, and her dad reminds me so much of the dad in Coraline.

It's simply entertaining dark humor in a teen angst storyline! I totally recommend it for a fun night out.

It's horror, its teen comedy its nostalgia all wrapped up in a perfect package appealing to the future Tim Burton's and Robert Smith's of the world. Especially if they are girls.

I watched this movie and I'm strange enough to understand where Lisa Frankenstein is coming from but there is a refreshing female gauze that covers the film nicely. I mean, I feel like I would have missed something watching this at home instead of with a theatre filled with women who laughed out loud to situations I just found passingly amusing. I thought this movie was great and thought it was great that the movie was not directed towards me.

Lisa Frankenstein is for those strange kids in high school but especially if you are that weird girl.

I saw Lisa Frankenstein early as part of AMC's Screen Unseen. I was already planning on watching it so I was happy with the selection.

It's a charming movie with a fun and different performance by lead actress Kathryn Newton. I like the visual style, especially with the outfits. There are a few memorable moments within an overall enjoyable story.

Why not a higher score? I don't really have any dislikes. Everything in the movie is above average, but no single aspect excels. It's pretty funny but not hilarious. The horror elements are fun but very mild. I was somewhat engaged and invested but not fully locked in or excited.

In the end, I had a good time with this movie as a one-time viewing. I think most people will find it enjoyable with a small group of people who love it.

(1 viewing, early screening Screen Unseen 2/5/2024)

Essentially a blind watch, I must say I surprisingly enjoyed this film.

Lisa Frankenstein was surprisingly enjoyable. It was completely ridiculous and completely stupid, but I found its quirkiness oddly endearing and sweet.

Great performances from the supporting cast and Lisa played fantastically by the beautifully talented Kathryn Newton. She is quickly becoming a favorite actress of mine.

Overall, while I most certainly enjoyed the film, there were certain elements that didn't completely work for me that I'm sure would work for others.

Charming, endearing, and darkly humorous makes Lisa Frankenstein a worthwhile watch that I, for one, did not see myself enjoying.

PS. Still a better love story than Twilight.

IMDb: 6/10 Letterboxd: 3/5

Watched in Theaters.

This is one of the oddest experiences I've had at the movies in a while. Lisa Frankenstein is a film where the idea seemed fun, the people involved have made things I've enjoyed in the past, and the cast seemed to be having a great time, so what went wrong for me? Well, I think it all comes down to the fact that this movie is trying to be accessible to a wide age spectrum, but that made the movie lose a bit of its charm. This is easily a script that should've taken it one step further and been rated R. Many films have done similar premises to this one in the past, and while I won't say they were all better in concept, the final products say otherwise. Let me explain myself.

Taking place in 1989, Lisa (Kathryn Newton), a teenager with a few questionable traits, wishes to be with someone who is dead and she has never met. His corpse is reanimated after she wishes upon his grave and a mysterious storm hits. From here, even though he can't speak, they become close and kind of psychotic. This very quickly becomes a twisted and messed up movie, but under the PG-13 banner, it just felt watered down. There are multiple instances when limbs are chopped off or people are murdered, and while it all is done in the spirit of having a good, weird time at the movies, it lacks the visuals of everything that was going on.

Kathryn Newton is quite enjoyable as Lisa and I wish the film had better dialogue for her because even though there is some clever writing and she made me laugh quite often, she is a much darker character than the PG-13 rating allowed her to be. Cole Sprouse (in my opinion) has honestly never been better though. He has no lines, but that made for some great physical acting. For a character without dialogue, he held his own against Newton here. Carla Gugino plays Lisa's stepmother and where that story leads is easily the highlight of the film, but again, every great idea this film had just felt watered down. I feel like a broken record talking about this one simply because I think this had all the bones of a great, fun, weird movie. There is also one scene in particular where I was laughing because I couldn't believe what I was watching, but the movie couldn't go far enough to show it actually happening. That was the majority of my experience here, even though the film was clever enough to be mildly enjoyable as it is.

Look, Zelda Williams does a solid job at directing here, Diablo Cody's script is sharp, but does add the extra flare that was needed, I liked every performance, and it absolutely felt like it was from the '80s/'90s. Everyone did a very solid job bringing this screenplay to life. Everything about this movie from the set design to the bright, visual aesthetic all worked for me and should be commended, I just can't wrap my head around why this one wasn't rated R, especially considering certain things that happen or are implied here. It's a head-scratcher for me. I still had a good time though and I feel that the crowd that will like this one the most are teenagers in high school who get the humour. Otherwise, it's okay, but it had so much potential.

This is a must-see movie in the theater and I will watch this more than once. Appropriately rated PG-13 and not bad for most kids that can watch that rating. What they were able to do on the shoestring budget of 13 million is just absolutely outstanding to me. This is also the directorial debut of Robin Williams's daughter Zelda. You can tell she's done her research on multiple genres from the '80s and has made a unique look but also adding to the feel of 1989. The script is pretty decent but the concept and art and direction are fantastic! I have seen 15 new movies in 2024 and this is definitely my favorite.

My wife and I attended a screening of Lisa Frankenstein (2024) this evening. The storyline follows a young lady whose mother was recently killed by an ax murderer. Her father remarries, and they move to a new home with her new mom and stepsister. A nearby haunted graveyard becomes her fascination, especially a young man's tombstone. One day, her prayer and lightening revive him, but he needs new body parts.

Directed by Zelda Williams in her major motion picture debut, the film stars Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Cole Sprouse (Riverdale), Liza Soberano (Trese), Carla Gugino (The Fall of the House of Usher), and Joe Chrest (Stranger Things).

The film is unfortunately uneven and has a solid beginning reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands, capturing an early Tim Burton feel with its 1989 setting. The attire, soundtrack, sets, and cinematography contribute to this atmosphere. The opening credits' animation and creative sets are praiseworthy, and the dialogue exudes cleverness with a perfect dark comedy feel. While horror elements and kills are hit or miss, the film showcases elite slow-motion blood splatter (making me wonder why more films don't leverage that special effect). However, certain scenes, like the awkward backing away and police interrogation, feel forced and out of place. The hunched-over walk scenes also detract from the overall tone. The ending, however, is a positive note.

In conclusion, Lisa Frankenstein has worthwhile elements but falls short of its potential. I would score this a 5/10 but recommend watching it once. This does have a target audience that will love it.

"They say 'Time heals wounds' but actually, 'Time is the wound.'"

In the year 1989, one's life is about to change forever because of a storm. This is a strange take on Frankenstein's story with something special about it. A film that is entertaining enough and if you do love the 80s, that "Sweeney Todd" vibes, if you love Kathryn Newton, Jughead Jones / Cole Sprouse, this film is for you. Kudos to Liza Soberano's first appearance in a Hollywood film. She did an amazing job and deserves to have more.

Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton did deliver a good performance here too.

A film that I could recommend watching. It was fun to watch!

Loved that they still used When in Rome's The Promise in the film (not just in the trailer).

1.5 out of 5 stars.

Lisa Frankenstein is a terrible film that is a comedy horror about a goth teen who spends rest of her time after school in a isolated graveyard. Until one of the undead is awakened and follows her every where. Where she ends up falling for.

Plot has a mixture of every genre which it cant seem to focus on what it is trying to be. The script is all over the place. The film humor is dull and boring. The cast ensemble is terrible with there dead performances. The direction tries to be like Tim Burton with a 80s tone. But it just falls flat in every direction. Overall, it is one horrible film that should be skipped.

Zelda made a great debut with this film, the movie doesn't promise the best plot, acting or even 80s music. But this movie brings what we miss the most in movies today, FUN. It's just straight up weird, in a good way. It's been awhile since a movie surprised me this way when promised nothing based off the trailers. Go watch it and have a good time. I do recommend watching in theatres with a packed room, because the public does make a difference in the experience.

Also if you watched the trailers don't expect horror, it's way more comedy than I expected. Of course there's some gory parts but it's a pg-13 film so don't expect heavy stuff.

This movie is an insane humorous romp and I loved it.

Love the 80s technicolor vibes. The fun fashion and hair are always a treat. Light body horror but nothing too repulsive. Weird off beat writing and a bizarre love story that is so bizarre I needed to see how it played out haha. If you want a serious horror flick I can guarantee this won't do it for you. But if you enjoy somthing that is silly and it knows it youll love it. With light hearted gore and caricature characters it fits perfectly in with a triple feature night of Heathers and death becomes her. Also if you love either of these main actors you're in for a treat. A fun silly halloween flick for those not into actual horror.

I am so frustrated!! I never leave reviews but I had to for this one. I expected this to be a mix of Warm Bodies and Reinfield. This was not and it makes me so frustrated of the missed potential.

I think every time I think about this movie, I remove one star. It looked so promising! The premise, the trailer, Cole, Gothic horror, Victorian and 80s themes... But it just fails so badly, the jokes of poor taste, the plot, the writing, the morality... the characters' actions don't make sense most of the time...other reviews here explain it better but it was just a mess. I went to watch in on a Tuesday, so tickets were about 4$, I used my points and I ended up paying 0.40$. I want those 0.40 cents back!!! What a waste of time. I wanted to leave so many times during the movie. I should have left. I am giving 3 stars only because the acting was good (mostly), the sets and color palette also. The beginning animated sequence was good. Some cinematography was also good. It's mostly the plot that was bad and unfortunately that is really important in a movie... I sigh every time I think about how bad it is and how good it could have been...

Anyways, please don't watch this. Go watch Warm Bodies or Reinfield instead.

I'm not going to lie...LISA FRANKENSTEIN was disappointing. Despite a few clever twists and a couple of worthwhile performances, it feels somehow lazy and disjointed. This is a film that wants to walk a tightrope between comedy and horror, but to complicate things, the comedy part of the tightrope is made up of satire and rom-com, and the horror side wants to be "R-rated" (some R-rated body part severing) with a "PG" vibe. I would have hoped writer Diablo Cody might have pulled it off, but it was probably almost too much to ask.

Lisa is a high-schooler who is living with her dad and step-mom and step-sister a couple of years after she witnessed her mother being brutally murdered by an axe-wielding home invader (and almost succumbing herself). This trauma has turned her (apparently...she may have already been this way) into a kind of proto-goth (the film takes place in the late '80s) who would rather hang out at the nearby abandoned cemetery than do any "normal" high school things. This character is pretty insufferable, despite her tragic background, because we're not asked to really feel anything for her. It's fortunate that the extremely affable Kathryn Newton (so good in FREAKY) is playing Lisa...she makes the character almost convincing. The character we actually root for the most is the step-sister, Taffy, a popular cheerleader who actually loves her step-sister and wants to be her friend and help her...genuinely. It's such a shock to see the cliché turned on its head, we have to root for this character, who is very agreeably played by Liza Soberano.

One night, an electric storm brings one of the old corpses in the cemetery to life. Luckily for this creature (known in the credits as "The Creature") finds his way to Lisa, who is immediately enamored of this man. He's silent, sorta dead and perhaps handsome underneath his decay. Turns out, he can be revitalized a bit at a time by spending a few minutes in a sparking, defective tanning bed (another amusing conceit of Cody's). He's missing a few body parts, but that's nothing that Lisa and her new friend can't take care of by stealing parts off folks they've killed.

Where should our loyalties lie while watching the film? We feel a little sorry for The Creature, but the longer he's around, the clearer it is he doesn't really have any noble qualities. Lisa is just insane. The teens in the high school are paper-thin stereotypes. The hunk Lisa longs for is an uninteresting cypher. Lisa's dad is a clueless idiot (this character is so poorly conceived that I almost have to applaud the creators of the film...in a world where thousands of characters are hard to believe, LISA FRANKENSTEIN has come up with a "dad of a troubled teen" who truly behaves with zero believability and who apparently literally has no motivation for existing). And the step-mother is an updated "wicked" character, but as played by Carla Gugino, is so over-the-top awful and stupid that it beggars belief that she could have a child like Taffy.

Lots of things happen in the movie. Some are funny. None are actually scary or particularly gory. Some would call it a black comedy, but despite all the death and murder, it's not that black. There is some fun music. But visually, it feels like a low budget knock-off of the EDWARD SCISSORHANDS aesthetic. And The Creature immediately evokes Edward.

The film is not a complete failure, and there are moments that are fun or charming. But I had hoped for more, and more consistent handling of tone and character. It feels like a sketch show, where some moments land well and others land with a thud. I still give the movie a VERY SLIGHT thumbs-up...but I think there was a better movie buried here...if Cody had brought more care to the script and if director Zelda Williams had pushed her secondary cast a bit more. The film feels low budget, so maybe time & money didn't allow. That would be a shame.

In the end, this movie that clearly wants to emerge as a cult favorite, is likely doomed to fade into obscurity.

Lisa Frankenstein, directed by Zelda Williams, is colourful, well-executed amalgamation of horror and comedy that is certain to garner a cult following in the years to come, though occasionally it feels like a missed opportunity.

The eye-catching direction is undoubtedly my favourite aspect of the film. Williams' vision looks and feels distinctly unique, with colourful frames that burst onto the screen, beautiful costume designs and gorgeous cinematography. But beyond crafting a visually appealing film, Williams has the ability to depict eccentric characters that unapologetically and facetiously commit bizarre and unsettling actions.

Kathryn Newton delivers a strong performance as Lisa, skillfully portraying a mentally complex character while providing humour in a way that seems plausible and tangible. Liza Soberano and Cole Sprouse give commendable performances too.

Where the film falters for me, is when it attempts to cram an absurdly large number of subplots and themes into its brief runtime, to the point that, by the time the credits roll, I wasn't quite sure what the central theme or story of the movie was. Also, the film plays it a little safe with the disturbing and gory scenes, likely due to its PG-13 rating. It could've been more effective had they fully embraced the absurdity.

Overall, Lisa Frankenstein is a wild good-time and an effective throwback to 80s horror comedies, but certainly has room for improvement.

6.8/10 (Would Recommend)

If you have someone that can enjoy a kind of cheesy, a little romantic, and slightly gruesome romcom horror movie then "Lisa Frankenstein" may be for you. The film is nonchalant when it comes to its stabby stab scenes. You're left with this "oh, okay... that happened".

There's some good moments that threw me for a loop, but that was part of the charm. Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse have really good chemistry together and both bring unique, fun charm to their roles. Cole showed a bit of his acting range by bringing good emotion to his role by not speaking a single word .

I'm probably one of the least fashionable people you will ever meet so take this with a grain of salt. I loved the wardrobe selection for Kathryn Newton and the movement between how we meet her to what she becomes is perfectly worked into the film.

I didn't find this film to be terrible, but it just wasn't super strong in parts. It gets distracting when the same extra very obviously passes through the same scene twice. Some of the camera shots were a little iffy when it came to speaking parts.

Overall, this won't be every one's type of film, but it's nice to have been with someone who did enjoy it as well. It was nice to be a little surprised by how not so fluffy the film appeared to be. It's fun, kind of gruesome, a little dirty on the romance, but it all works out in the end.

That's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

Lisa Frankenstein, the latest 2024 cinematic endeavor, is an unfortunate misfire, deserving of a 1/10 rating. The film, which seemingly aimed to blend horror elements with a quirky, colorful aesthetic, falls flat in nearly every aspect imaginable.

The plot is the first major casualty of this cinematic catastrophe. It meanders aimlessly, lacking both purpose and real meaning. Instead of engaging the audience with a coherent story, the film seems to stumble from one scene to the next, leaving viewers wondering what, if anything, the filmmakers were trying to convey. The attempts at weaving a narrative are so disjointed that any potential for substance is quickly lost in a sea of confusion.

Comedy, which could have served as the film's saving grace, instead adds to its downfall. The humor, if it can be called that, is so poorly executed that it fails to elicit even the slightest chuckle. It's a clear indication that the film struggles to find its identity, caught between wanting to be a comedic spoof and a genuine part of the horror genre it awkwardly tries to parody.

The acting further compounds the film's woes. It's rare to see a movie where the performances are uniformly lackluster, but Lisa Frankenstein manages this feat with disheartening success..

Ultimately, this is a film without substance. It's a hollow shell of a movie, lacking the creativity, wit, and emotional core necessary to make a lasting impact. The film's failure to deliver a meaningful plot, coupled with its unsuccessful attempts at humor and subpar acting, makes it a forgettable experience. In a year that has seen its fair share of cinematic offerings so soon, Lisa Frankenstein stands out for all the wrong reasons.

Cute, Heartfelt, Candy-colored, and Twisted. When I tell you this movie had my WHOLE HEART from the title screen alone ?? -sobs- It's Heathers and Edward Scissorhands and campy and hilarious but also unique and its own thing, with hard nods to A Trip To The Moon, and NOTTING HILL. I EXPLODED.

And I was already a fan from Freaky but now I'm just a full on Kathryn Newton spazz, she gives the quirkiest, silliest, most endearing performance. And Cole Sprouse gave a really lovely, nuanced performance too. Liza Soberano (Taffy) was hilarious too, everyone was just really perfect.

The cuteness of this movie actually unalived me and now I need a tanning bed. The End.

I was excited about this movie from the trailers and all the little social media hype. But then when it came out, my regular movie critics that I like best said it wasn't great. It kinda broke my heart. I'd talked myself out of wanting to watch it. But I'm so glad I finally did. This movie is campy at the greatest form. The costumes, settings, and music are all fantastic! The writing is fast paced for the most part. Kathryn Newton's lead character Lisa is dramatic and awkward. But I found myself rooting for her throughout the entire movie. I love Cole Sprouse, but sometimes he can come off a bit pretentious. I actually liked that he was basically mute throughout the movie. And Liza Soberano as Taffy was a wonderful addition.

I'll definitely be making this a must rewatch!

There isn't a single positive for this mess of a movie. Everything about it is cheap and bad. I'm sure the positive ratings are fake as only a small child could find this garbage entertaining. The story was always going to be a bit of a stretch but the execution is awful. This was. Clearly made on a very low budget but even so that's not an excuse for knocking out this drivel. The dialogue is badly written and characters are one note and delivered with lazy performances. I had high hopes for this but it's worse than I could have imagined. I would advise anyone thinking of renting/viewing this tripe to think again - unless it's for young kids then go for it.

Giving this an 7/10 rating

Darkly comic horror from writer Diablo Cody, up to more cray nonsense as usual, but in the undead horror and sort of slasher genre, this time. Also not directing this, which is something new, so it's left of Zelda Williams who gets the most out of the actors and atmosphere of the times it's set in.

Kathryn Newton is carving out a good career with these scare films, she's just so good, and clearly loves it, she's in full swing as the misunderstood, Lisa. Liza Soberano is great and super loopy but kind as Taffy. Cole Sprouse, plays the undead who is up to some bloody fun. He is the one who has to do a lot of work in his role. Joe Chrest is a familiar face, but it's Carla Gugino who has fun, both are having a blast.

You have throw sanity out the window in this film, and get ready for some down right crazy time, it starts of slow, but it does get there, again the humour is either you like it or not, this is macabre and campy, it knows it, another different film out now.

When I read the review I was locked in, anything with a touch of gothic humour and set in the 1980s is the perfect antidote!

This really reminded me of a mixture of 80s classic 'Weird Science' and 1990 classic 'Edward Scissorhands' it culminates somewhere in between...

The relationship between Kelly, and her 'creature' no plot spoilers is very sweet, a story that questions where we belong in society and wanting to feel loved.

The touches of gore and the creature needing new 'body parts' to be fully restored from his decaying 19th century dead body was brilliant, the humour was really good with a decent supporting cast.

An easy watch and enjoyed!

LIKES:

The 80s Vibe -I'm a sucker for the decade of the 80s, as are most, and Lisa Frankenstein manages to capture the fun of the ending years of the decade.

-This film conveys the energy, the wild fashions, the big hair, and all the outdated cars, homes, and technology to really get that feel.

-And somehow, that avenue was perfect to sort of dampen the darker tones of the movie, giving it that John Hughes version of an occult that opens up who can watch this film.

-It's a perfect choice for decade and time period for me, and Cody/Williams' direction to help maximize it without getting too lost.

The Opening Credits -A small like for some, the opening credits are a charming introduction to the tale we are about to partake in.

-It's animated, holding silhouette style of art that reminds me of some favorite games, alongside a Tim Burton animation that is haunting, but again curved to be cute than disturbing.

-The story told at the beginning has a great medium to do it, and is concise, giving us more time to spend with Lisa and her... weird hobby.

The Acting -While not any of the Oscar talking roles, this younger cast accomplishes much for me in the film, handling this strange and disturbing content like a pro.

-Breaking my rule, I'm going to credit the most involved performances than top three just because they are holding much of the performance and I think it's fair.

• Cole Sprouse was quite dynamic for not saying many words through the film. Mostly using body acting and grunting, the former Suite Life star is a modern Hocus Pocus Billy as he struts, lumbers, and does other stuff to bounce off of Lisa's actions and very fun in most cases.

-Soberano as Taffy, is the fun version of the damsel of the story, sweet, engaging, and fun, layered with that uncertainty vibe that can go which way. Add her Mean Girls delivery on lines, and you get some extra comedy power that I see many enjoying.

-Newton is the star though, and is the ferry woman on this odd dance with death. How her character changes throughout the movie required a lot of versality, and I was impressed with how she managed to change her aura with each level. Mostly kempt, delivery of lines was amazing, and the way she captures that dark and methodical movements all add up to becoming a "modern" Frankenstein role that I think they were going for.

The Comedy -It's twisted for much of the movie, but bravo for adding comedy styles that seem too hodge-podge and abstract to fit together.

-Like the concept of Frankenstein though, somehow these pieces get sewn together and become this eclectic mix of parts that just work for the angle this film took.

-Ignorance and stupidity of many cast offers that simple level of lightness to break up the darker roles of the macabre.

-Then, you get into the dark elements, these puns, jabs, and sarcasm hyperbolized to the point of adding that dryer sense of humor that adds spice and "livens" things up.

-And for those of the truly twisted and morose humor, Cody's writing has given you your feast of darker elements that may not quite cross into the full horror, but give you enough shock factory and dark reflections that will please your goth hearts.

-All-in-all, it works well and for much of the movie, I enjoyed the integration of this element.

Costumes/Makeup: -Again, the costumes have a life of themselves, much of it reflecting the decade, holding the energy, setting, and vibe to not break the illusion of the past.

-Sprouse's costumes are a tad more creative, a mixture of both worlds that becomes a very character element and comedic tool to have a lot of fun with and still be stylish. While his makeup application shows the artists telling a story on its own with impressive attention to detail.

-And Lisa's wardrobe goes above and beyond, taking all of the aforementioned elements, and giving that last push of edge, character development, and that added sex appeal of the Frankenstein to speak to the target audience.

The Clever Writing -Diablo Cody is known for her intelligence and wit with writing, finding ways to blend a lot of things into one movie.

-Lisa Frankenstein I find a testament to her work, another mashup of satire to parody the classics, but adding that new age twist and drama to appeal to the modern audience.

-This story is not just that dark thriller the trailer seemed to highlight, but instead a really intriguing twist to the Frankenstein role.

-A character study, mixed with this odd romantic spin, that starts approaching CW levels of odd and cheesy, as they express the various qualities behind young "love." -And yet, there is something more, a sort of Cinderella tale that emerges from this, and helps add some thought provoking measures and cultural insight to those looking for a little deeper content.

The Odd Character Development -And much of the story comes down to the character profiling of the players involved.

-Lisa in particular has so much to unpack, this essential dive into this fractured mind that like her namesake is stuck between artistic brilliance, teenage lust, and potential insanity.

-While the Creature somehow holds so many qualities and unravels his tightly held feelings, gradually introducing them with each new person who meets him.

-This is the odd fascination that pulls everything together, and will be very appealing to those liking Buffy, Supernatural, and Heathers like psyches.

The Music -A nod to the music, it's a soundtrack list that feels welcome to all the scenes they were in. The 80's track list kept me bouncing, had some comedic involvement, and at times bridges sequences together.

-And a two covers of REO speed wagon, each holding different weight in their use, another choice decision to work with that creativity of the writing.

The DISLIKES:

The Pace/Concept Drop -The pace starts out well, but then sadly loses pace about the last third of the movie, where things speed up to a bad levels.

-While it works with the logic of the story, the movie's interesting concept felt dropped to me, and turned more towards the CW element that works and yet needed more of the original concept -Several characters had potential to have more involvement and yet... it didn't happen and that was disappointing.

Gets Carried Away At Times -The darker tones threaten to overwhelm the movie at any point, and though it walks the thin line well, it does go overboard.

-Lisa's mindset is like the mad doctor's at point, and cross the insane point to a level that sometimes gets too True Crime for some.

-And that ending decides to take things in an even weirder and more uncomfortable element that crosses into territory that (though funny and sarcastic) still is disgusting, twisted, and might only appeal to a small sample population.

Rated R Most Likely Needed -Those moments of crossing the line, even though it's no level of SAW/Hostel, still are probably not full PG-13 no matter how poetic and charming this spin is.

-Anything involving high school and teenage slaughter is very much a darker tale and so I would exercise caution for weak constitutions and taking younger audience members to be aware please.

Too Silly/Geared To CW audience?

-And yes, I'm not the target audience for this movie, as Cody is very particular and often gears her writing to a niche audience.

-This film's key audience should impress most of the group, but for me, the further into the movie, the more CW overdramatic than at the start.

-While impressive character exploration, the avenues they chose to explore have little effect on me and feel almost like a darker version of the film Blockers that seemed a little too cheesy and fanfiction for my tastes.

-Fortunately, the metaphorical ending helps wrap things up to a level that I very much enjoyed.

The VERDICT:

Lisa Frankenstein is weird, dark, and surprisingly intriguing on many levels. Cody's writing with Williams direction has captured the charm of Tim Burton horror, warping the story of Frankenstein to a fun level, and making it relevant for modern topics. A strong cast and even stronger production value really help, ironically, bring things to life, helping capture the spirit of the decades and content. This movie handles a lot of advanced concepts in a fun way, and does it's best to blend the morose macabre with that twisted tackiness, and with the blend of so many styles and elements, achieves something I didn't expect. Sadly, for me, the experimentation goes awry and veers into the niche audience level, venturing into that CW level of drama that feels fanfiction. True, there is some metaphorical poetry to help stem things, but it didn't save it for me and the fact that the original direction seemed dropped and lost before it hit momentum Had the not done that... I would have given this higher. With all these concepts, my score for Lisa Frankenstein is:

Comedy/Horror/Romance: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.