All of my hopes and dreams came true when Regal Cinemas showed “Lisa Frankenstein” as its Monday Mystery Movie on Feb. 5.
“Lisa Frankenstein” follows Lisa (Kathryn Newton), a high school senior in 1989, who had a rough few years after her mom was killed by an ax murderer. Facing a tough time with her new stepmom and overly-perfect stepsister, Lisa has been silently blending into the shadows … until now.
Lisa loves spending time in her town’s local “haunted” cemetery, where she sits by a grave belonging to a teenage boy (Cole Sprouse) who died decades ago. After a strange storm brews, Lisa is visited by the reanimated corpse of the very boy from the grave.
Although his revival initially comes as a shock, Lisa quickly recognizes the teenage boy from his headstone and realizes that he has come to her so they can be together. The pair slowly bond until they eventually combine lust and bloodlust and begin a killing spree.
The corpse becomes protective over Lisa, killing anyone who crosses her, and Lisa uses miscellaneous body parts and a haywire tanning machine to revive her undead crush until he’s almost human again.
It’s the perfect love story.
I can confidently say that “Lisa Frankenstein” is one of the most creative movies I’ve seen in the last few years. This is a film that isn’t afraid to grab the audience’s hand and pull them along through all sorts of twists and turns. No matter how bizarre the plot is, the audience isn’t given the opportunity to question any of it, because our protagonist just rolls with the punches — and so do we.
“Lisa Frankenstein” is a unique and artsy film, with everything being dramatized through the lens of Lisa. From black and white snippets, to slow motion shots, every directorial choice is clear and intentional in developing both the plot, and Lisa’s character.
The thing that “Lisa Frankenstein” does best, is create lovable characters that you cannot help but root for. Even though Lisa and her undead companion are committing crime after crime, you continue to root for them because their character development is so strong, you feel like you really know them and want to see them win.
Lisa’s character specifically is very relatable from a female’s perspective. You get the sense throughout the film that Lisa is a “girls-girl”, meaning you could trust her with anything, and she’d never judge you. She speaks exactly what’s on her mind, even when it’s a little TMI.
But that’s what makes her character so great. Because she’s so open and honest about her feelings and her body, women of all ages can find at least one thing to relate to, even if they’ve never admitted it out loud.
Having a real character like that makes all the difference in a film. When you can connect and relate to a protagonist, it makes it easier for the audience to care about what happens to them.
Cole Sprouse, while not as relatable, gives a very strong performance. Even though Sprouse’s lines are almost exclusively grunts, you can still get a very clear idea of what he’s saying, thinking and feeling — which is very difficult to do when you can’t say any words and don’t have full range of motion in your face and body.
Sprouse has had a bit of a rough go being taken seriously as an actor, especially after his endeavors in “Riverdale”. Although his part in “Lisa Frankenstein” isn’t necessarily a “serious” role, it’s hopefully one that will open doors for him to showcase his talent more.
Films set in the ‘80s have a lot of work to do to achieve that authentic ‘80s feel. Everything in “Lisa Frankenstein” screamed 1980s. From the home decor to the clothing, the hair and makeup and the references — “Lisa Frankenstein” hit the nail on the head.
Audience members of all ages were laughing for nearly the entire movie, as it was chock full of laughs that would appeal to all age groups. Even if you aren’t familiar with the 80’s, there’s still ample opportunity to burst into laughter.
Although “Lisa Frankenstein” might not seem like a typical romantic comedy, it holds a special type of romance. The connection between Lisa and her corpse isn’t stereotypical Hallmark “love”, it’s something much darker.
The love between the two is dire and almost obsessive, and it’s clear that the pair would do anything for each other — even kill.
It’s that type of love that sets “Lisa Frankenstein” apart from other romantic comedies we’ve seen recently.
Even though “Lisa Frankenstein” is classified as a horror/comedy, there really aren’t any major horror elements to this film. No jumpscares, no spine tingling suspense sequences, just some good old-fashioned kills and a tinge of gore.
Because the film is rated PG-13 however, most of the gore is just alluded to. While you do get a few bloody shots, there isn’t anything that will make your stomach toss.
If you’re looking for something other than your copy-paste Hallmark rom-com to watch this Valentine’s season, then I cannot recommend “Lisa Frankenstein” enough. Whether you’ve only heard of the ‘80s through your parents, or you have tales from the iconic decade yourself, “Lisa Frankenstein” is guaranteed to make you laugh.
“Lisa Frankenstein” slashes into theaters Feb. 9 — and I’ve already got tickets to see it again.
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