Lisa Frankenstein movie review

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