The horror film Lisa Frankenstein has been generating significant buzz in 2024. Despite my usual aversion to PG-13 horror flicks, I decided to catch it on the final day of its theater run. Intrigued by the high ratings from my connections on Letterboxd and the nostalgic setting in 1989, coinciding with my high school years, I figured it was worth experiencing on the big screen. You don’t want to regret missing a classic on the big screen, right?
However, Lisa Frankenstein fell short of being a classic. While not terrible, it merely qualified as a slightly above-average PG-13 horror film, lacking any standout qualities.
Kathryn Newton’s portrayal of Lisa Swallows started off charming but grew grating as the story unfolded. By the end, I couldn’t say I was a fan of her character. The performances overall were decent, but the storyline and characters failed to resonate with me as they did with other viewers.
There were some enjoyable comedic moments and nods to late ’80s culture, executed well. However, the ending was underwhelming and lacked coherence.
The hype surrounding the film may stem from the disappointing offerings in horror cinema so far in 2024, or the involvement of Zelda Williams (Robin Williams’ daughter) as director and Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body) as the writer. Yet, ultimately, Lisa Frankenstein still seemed to be missing a few parts and turned out to be just an average movie.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
