Lisa Frankenstein Spoiler Review
“Lisa Frankenstein” is a film that attempts to weave trauma and loneliness into a narrative of connection, but falls short of fully embracing its darker themes. Despite its disjointed narrative and blend of humor and horror, it may still appeal to those who enjoy unconventional love stories and dark comedies.
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Director: Zelda Williams
Writer: Diablo Cody
Cinematography: Paula Huidobro
Music: Isabella Summers
Main Cast:
Kathryn Newton as as Lisa Swallows
Cole Sprouse as as The Creature
Carla Gugino as Janet Swallows, Lisa's Stepmom
Liza Soberano as Taffy Swallows, Lisa's stepsister
Joe Chrest as Dale Swallows, Lisa's father
Henry Eikenberry as Michael Trent
Release Date: February 9, 2024 In Theaters (USA)
Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Lisa Frankenstein Full Plot(Spoiler Ahead)
The movie opens with an animated scene set in the Victorian era, introducing a young man deeply in love and married. However, his world shatters when his wife falls for another man. The rest of his life is spent in solitude and despair, ultimately leading to his burial in a cemetery, surrounded by other solitary souls.
Fast forward to 1989, Lisa Swallows (portrayed by Kathryn Newton) is seen frequently visiting the cemetery, particularly the grave of the young man, to whom she feels a strong connection. Her father, Dale (played by Joe Chrest), has taken a new wife, Janet (Carla Gugino), a harsh and disdainful woman. Lisa finds herself spending time with Janet’s daughter, Taffy (Liza Soberano), as she navigates her senior year at Brookview High School. Janet views Lisa as an inconvenience and even proposes sending her to a reform school.
In an attempt to help Lisa socialize, Taffy takes her to a party. En route, Lisa confides in Taffy about her crush on Michael Trent (Henry Eikenberry), a schoolmate and the editor of the school newspaper where Lisa submits her poetry. Lisa also shares her unusual habit of writing poetry to the statue at the young man’s grave, which Taffy finds peculiar. At the party, Lisa encounters Michael, who expresses his admiration for her poetry. However, their conversation is interrupted by Tamara (Joey Bree Harris), another girl at the party, who offers Lisa a cup filled with what Lisa assumes to be alcohol. After taking a large sip, Lisa begins to hallucinate. Concurrently, Taffy reveals to her friends the tragic story of Lisa’s mother, who was brutally murdered by a home intruder, an event that left Lisa mute for months until her father, Dale, married Janet.
Lisa, now intoxicated, is discovered by her classmate Doug (Bryce Romero), who appears to be assisting her. He leads her to a bedroom and begins to make inappropriate advances, prompting Lisa to leave in disgust just as a storm starts outside. She seeks solace at the cemetery, speaking to the statue of the young man and expressing her desire to be with him. Upon returning home in a state of fury, a bolt of green lightning strikes the young man’s grave. That night, Lisa dreams of a romantic encounter with the young man.
The following day, Lisa faces Janet's reprimand for shattering the bathroom mirror the previous night. Subsequently, Lisa heads to her job at a tailoring shop where she mends clothes, enduring disrespect from her boss. During her shift, Michael drops by with an item needing repair, while Tamara also enters the shop, behaving arrogantly towards Lisa.
Later on, while the family heads out to watch a movie, Lisa chooses to stay home. She is startled by a noise and discovers a zombie (played by Cole Sprouse) breaking into the house. Initially terrified, Lisa soon realizes that The Creature, as he is referred to in the credits, poses no threat. Despite his inability to speak due to the absence of a tongue, he communicates through grunts and gestures that he is the same young man whose grave Lisa frequents and to whom she writes poetry. He even presents her with her mother's rosary that she had left at the grave. Lisa deduces that her wish to be with him, which she uttered during a lightning strike, brought him back to life, although she had meant that she wished to be dead. Lisa decides to keep The Creature hidden until she can figure out her next steps.
While Lisa is away at school, The Creature explores the house as Janet prepares for a trip to Milwaukee. Observing Janet's harsh treatment of Lisa, The Creature retaliates by placing a worm in Janet's meal. Upon Lisa's return home, she faces Janet's wrath as she accuses Lisa of planting the worm due to her troubled state. Janet further provokes Lisa by ridiculing the murder of her mother and revealing plans to send Lisa to a reform school. In response, The Creature emerges from Lisa's closet and fatally strikes Janet with a sewing machine. He then removes Janet's ear for Lisa to attach to his head as a replacement. Initially horrified, Lisa assists The Creature in transporting Janet's body to his old grave.
Lisa then sews the ear onto The Creature's head and places him in a broken tanning bed to rejuvenate it. She manages to keep The Creature concealed while convincing Dale and Taffy that Janet is still in Milwaukee. At school, Lisa leaves a note in Doug's locker, persuading him to meet her in the woods after school. She lures him to the cemetery under the pretense of resuming their encounter from the party. The Creature appears with an axe and severs Doug's right hand. As Doug attempts to flee, The Creature throws the axe at him, resulting in his death. They dispose of his body in another open grave, and Lisa attaches Doug's hands to The Creature.
Following another session in the tanning bed, The Creature reappears, his appearance less grotesque than before. His bond with Lisa deepens as they share personal stories - Lisa opens up about her mother and her fear of dying without experiencing love, while The Creature reminisces about the one woman he truly loved. Their connection strengthens when Lisa discovers The Creature's ability to play the piano, leading to a heartfelt duet with Lisa singing "Can't Fight This Feeling".
Meanwhile, Taffy and Dale become increasingly worried upon learning that Janet never arrived in Milwaukee. The situation escalates when the police arrive at the school following Doug's disappearance. Lisa is summoned to the principal's office after Tamara reports seeing Lisa pass a note to Doug's locker, suggesting a meeting after school, corroborated by witnesses who saw them together. Lisa deflects the accusations with a series of excuses and a display of indignation towards Tamara, before being dismissed.
Lisa Frankenstein Ending Explained
Lisa went to Michael's house because he wasn't at school. But something strange happened along the way. The Creature kills a mean guy who wrongly thought he was gay. Then it stole the guy's stuff, like his clothes and car. The Creature then gave Lisa a ride to Michael's place.
When Lisa got there, she found Michael in bed with Taffy. Lisa was really mad because Taffy knew Lisa had a crush on Michael. But Michael explained he just didn't feel the same way about her.
Suddenly, the Creature burst into the room with an axe and hurt Michael badly. It was awful. Then, Lisa and the Creature went back to the cemetery. Lisa tried to comfort Taffy, who had been a good friend to her.
The Creature had a strange request. It wanted Lisa to attach Michael's groin to its own body because it didn't have one. They encountered a police officer, who got scared when she saw what the Creature was holding. The Creature threw her into a grave.
Lisa realized time was running out, so she sewed Michael's groin onto the Creature's body. They decided to have sex, but then they heard police sirens. Lisa had the Creature turn on a tanning bed to the highest setting and set the garage on fire. They kissed one last time before Lisa was burned.
Later, Lisa was buried. Her stepfather Dale and Taffy visited her grave and saw "beloved wife" written on her tombstone. They also went to Janet's grave to pay respects.
Meanwhile, the Creature was shown alive and able to speak. It was reading poetry with a bandaged Lisa by its side. It seemed like Lisa had been brought back to life. This ending leaves the audience with a sense of intrigue and anticipation for what lies ahead for Lisa and the Creature.
Lisa Frankenstein Review (Our Verdict)
The film explores trauma, loneliness, and the desire for connection amidst darkness. While containing elements of humor and romance, it needs to fully commit to its darker themes, resulting in a somewhat disjointed narrative. Despite this, the performances, particularly from Carla Gugino as Lisa's stepmother, add depth to the story.
Overall, "Lisa Frankenstein" attempts to blend teenage drama with horror elements but falls short of fully realizing its potential. With its mix of morbid humor and teenage angst, the film may appeal to some audiences, particularly those interested in unconventional love stories and dark comedies.
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