Movie · 2024 · Horror, Comedy, Romance · 1h 42m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 3.5/10 (462.4K ratings)
If you can't meet your perfect boyfriend…make him.
Overview
In 1989, a misunderstood teenager has a high school crush — who just happens to be a handsome corpse! After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness…and a few missing body parts along the way.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.5/10
IMDb: 6.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.50/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Metacritic: 47
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Zelda Williams
Production
Focus Features, MXN Entertainment, Lollipop Woods
Cast
Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, Carla Gugino, Joey Harris, Bryce Romero, Jenna Davis, Joshua Montes, Trina LaFargue, Paola Andino, Jennifer Pierce Mathus, Luke Sexton, Chris Greening, Mae Anglim, Ayla Miller, Jailyn Rae, Ashton Leigh, Charlie Talbert
Curator Review
Verdict
A cheeky, offbeat horror-comedy with a strong retro style, Lisa Frankenstein is worth watching if you enjoy campy romance, body-horror gags, and a knowingly weird tone. It’s more of a cult-flavored mood piece than a tight genre machine, but the visual design and committed performances make it easy to root for.
Best for
fans of campy horror-comedy
viewers who like dark teen romance
people drawn to 1980s nostalgia and synthy style
audiences who enjoy oddball, cultish genre movies
Skip if
you want genuinely scary horror
you dislike broad, self-aware humor
you prefer grounded romance
you need a tightly plotted story with sharp emotional payoff
Overview
Lisa Frankenstein is a glossy, mischievous mash-up of teen romance, monster-movie imagery, and 1980s pop-goth fantasy. It plays like a date movie for people who want their love stories stitched together with gallows humor, neon lighting, and a little bit of blood on the upholstery.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest asset is its attitude: it knows exactly how silly it is and leans into the bit with style. The performances help sell the absurdity, and the production design gives the whole thing a playful, candy-colored rot that makes it feel more like a cult object than a conventional studio comedy.
Bottom line
It’s not especially scary, and some viewers may find the emotional beats thinner than the concept promises. But if you’re in the mood for something weird, flirty, and fashionably undead, it lands as a charmingly unhinged watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Sophie Holsinger (3.5★) · 22278 likes
A leading man with no lines <3
kass ⊹˚· (3.5★) · 16052 likes
IDK but i feel like there’s something so deeply romantic about someone chopping off ur crush’s dick just to be able to fuck u with it
Framesofnick (4★) · 14129 likes
The type of movie that’ll only get the appreciation it deserves in 5 years
alex (4★) · 11279 likes
Chappell Roan killing spree. trans cole sprouse Frankenstein. oh this worked on me.