A campy horror film that doesn’t fulfil its potential
Lisa Frankenstein is a campy horror film which happens to be the directorial feature of none other than Zelda Williams, yes, the very same daughter to the iconic legend, Robin Williams. So when it comes to comedy, viewers have high expectations. But does she meet them?
Well, in this horror-rom-com-zombie mash-up, we have familiar faces such as Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Carla Gugino and Liza Soberano going about wreaking havoc in a small town in the 1980s.
Lisa is an oddball, an outcast, who spends her days thirsting over the hot guy at school and working overtime after her mother is murdered and she gets your standard evil step-mother Janet and her cheerful and popular daughter Taffy. But while Taffy tries to include Lisa, our sulky heroine would much rather spend her days talking to the grave of a handsome, young man.
Well, the one time she tries to get out of her comfort zone and attends a house party, it is chaos which ends with her wishing to be with the dead young man during an eerie storm. Well, the movie wastes no time as our Victorian zombie comes to life and instantly upends Lisa’s life.
Lisa Frankenstein has all the tropes to achieve a cult-like status with its campy aesthetic, self-aware ironic dialogues and stylistic acting. It is as if Corpse Bride was adapted into a 1980s high school rom-com (think Heathers but not really). But unlike screenwriter, Diablo Cody’s horror predecessor, Jennifer’s Body which had all the makings for a cult film it has become, we doubt that Lisa Frankenstein will get the same reception.
A one-time watch, it will most probably be forgotten amidst a pile of the younger generation trying to hone in on their style and create something of style and substance. But Zelda will probably have to work a little harder on her quirky brand to get in with the cool clique probably being led by the likes of Emma Seligman, Emerald Fennell and Lena Dunham at the moment.
And let’s be honest, Lisa Frankenstein could have probably made out unscathed if only it hadn’t been too ambitious. In trying to make it a comedy, existential horror, romance, satire and everything in between, the movie bites off more than it can chew.
There are parts of the movie that feel disjointed as each segment has a different purpose to play. There’s the evil stepfamily who are not actually evil but super goofy. And then we have the Creature who becomes a zombie fairy godmother who fixes Lisa’s fashion. Then the film instantly moves on to a slasher horror vibe with physical comedy.
The whole premise of the film from the beginning to the end feels intentionally silly, but there is nothing more to it that elevates it. Ultimately, it’s a spirited romp through the graveyard of cinematic ambition, leaving us with a lingering question: could I have done something better with my time?
Read More: Lisa Frankenstein Ending Explained
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Verdict - 4/10
4/10