Skip to content
Lisa Frankenstein opens with the unforunately named Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton – Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania) being ditzy, talking to a statue in the park, justifying this to her friends, “No-one should be forgotten“, in a film that’s the directorial debut for Zelda Williams – daughter of the late, great Robin Williams, and which opens with the feel of a Tim Burton film.
She also fancies Michael Trent (Henry Eikenberry), the editor of school paper Grackle, who, in return, likes her poems and reciproactes in wanting to get to know her. She certainly needs some help, given how she’s still reeling from the axe-murder of her mother.
Since her Dad fell for best friend Taffy’s (Liza Soberano) mother, Janet (Carla Gugino – San Andreas), they’re all now living together under one roof, and given that a bolt of lightning has brought the occupier of the grave under the statue to life – in the form of Cole Sprouse – trying to hide him in the abode is going to prove troublesome.
For a film set in the late ’80s, it took me a while to pin down precisely which year we were in, given how the music includes Echo And The Bunnymen’s 1987 single Lips Like Sugar, and I was so chuffed to hear When In Rome’s 1988 opus, The Promise (above), a tune I loved back then, and still do, now. It was a complete flop at the time, like most great songs I liked as a kid, so kudos to everyone involved for resurrecting it. But it was the fact Lisa’s family were going to see Look Who’s Talking (a 1989 movie) which sealed the deal for the year.
Although Lisa Frankenstein – the feature-length directorial debut from Zelda Williams, daughter of the late, great Robin Williams – isn’t a great film, there’s enough in it to make it worth watching, given how in order to help Lisa’s new creature friend feel more ‘human’ again, they’ll have to bump people off inorder to get bodyparts. Plus, watch out for the faulty tanning machine in the garage, since someone is likely to get electrcuted…
I’ll also never be able to hear Jeffrey Osborne’s On the Wings of Love again, without thinking of this film, as you’ll see!
Oh, and when it comes to Lisa’s lab partner, Doug. He drinks Pabst. Is that Pabst Blue Ribbon? Just as long as it’s not Heineken, eh?
Lisa Frankenstein is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date of June 3rd 2024.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 101 minutes
Release date: March 1st 2024
Studio: Universal Pictures International
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 6.5/10
Director: Zelda Williams
Producers: Diablo Cody, Mason Novick
Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Music: Isabella Summers
Cast:
Lisa: Kathryn Newton
The Creature: Cole Sprouse
Janet: Carla Gugino
Michael Trent: Henry Eikenberry
Taffy: Liza Soberano
Lori: Jenna Davis
Tricia: Trina LaFargue
Misty: Paola Andino
Vince: Joshua Montes
Jock: Chris Greening
Drunk Girl: Mae Anglim
Tamara: Joey Bree Harris
Lisa’s Mom: Jennifer Pierce Mathus
Axe Murderer: Luke Sexton
White Girl: Ayla Diane Miller
Psychic Jenny: Jailyn Rae
Doug: Bryce Romero
Dale: Joe Chrest
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.