Lisa Frankenstein movie review

posted in: Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Romance | 0

MOVIE TITLE:    Lisa Frankenstein 

This horror/comedy/romance is now playing in theaters and available for purchase on Vudu.

 

RATING:    PG-13 (I think it should be R)

LENGTH:      1 hour 41 minutes

 

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE:     B-

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL:

This quirky throwback to 80s horror was directed by Zelda Williams, who is the daughter of actor Robin Williams.  This is her directorial debut of a major motion picture.  Writing credits go to Diablo Cody, who also co-produced it.

The story is about a teenage girl who is willing to murder to bring her corpse crush to life.

 

 

THINGS I LIKED:

  • Kathryn Newton is fantastic in this role as Lisa Swallows. I’m excited to see what else she can do.
  • Another standout, for me, is Carla Gugino. Other cast members include Cole Sprouse as the Creature, Joe Chrest, and Liza Soberano.
  • During the rolling credits at the beginning of the movie, we’re told a brief backstory in cartoon form to help us understand the current events.
  • The color palette, hairstyles, home décor, music, and clothing instantly take us back to the 1980s. The story also has plenty of 80s tropes as a playful nod to past films.
  • The first dream sequence is super creative. I wanted to see more of that.
  • Fans of dark humor might get a real kick out of this. While the film isn’t perfect, there is definitely an audience for this kind of comedy horror.
  • Fun soundtrack.

 

 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

  • There’s a musical number, of sorts, that isn’t very good, yet we see a sweet connection between two characters being made during the song.
  • The tone shifts dramatically from Act 1 to Act 3.
  • Some scenes could have easily been cut to shorten the run time.
  • Several plot points don’t make sense.

 

 

TIPS FOR PARENTS:    

  • Teens drink alcohol and take drugs
  • A character tells Lisa everyone pleasures themselves.
  • We see teens in bed together.
  • Blood splatters and body parts
  • Brutal murders
  • Talk of not wanting to be a virgin and male body parts

 

 

THEMES:

  • The price we pay for love
  • Belonging
  • Recovering from trauma
  • Mental illness
  • Teen angst

 

 

 

FUNNY LINES:

  • “That’s my dad’s shoe phone. He got it for free with a subscription to Sports Illustrated.” –  Lisa  (Kathryn Newton)
  • “No, don’t cry. Your tears smell so bad.” – Lisa  (Kathryn Newton)
  • “I’m an IP: Intuitive Person. Took a whole seminar about it.” – Janet Swallows  (Carla Gugino)
  • “Lisa looks good. She could probably even do pageants if she had congeniality.” – school girl
  • “I really hope this Goth phase ends soon.” – Officer Waters

 

 

 

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

 

 

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Author of 23 books, university professor, mom of 4 awesome sons, movie critic, ice cream lover. Check out her world travels and tips at www.EmptyNestTravelHacker.com

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