Bride of Frankenstein

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Bride of Frankenstein

1935

1h 15m

Horror

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

88%

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25,000+ Ratings

After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control.

Critics Consensus

An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

05/08/2024

Advertised as a chiller, this film turns out to be something else, having a lot of jollification, nice fancy, elegant mounting -- there is, in short, beauty as well as the beast.

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TIME Magazine

10/07/2008

Screenwriters Hurlbut & Balderston and Director James Whale have given it the macabre intensity proper to all good horror pieces, but have substituted a queer kind of mechanistic pathos for the sheer evil that was Frankenstein.

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Simon Braund

Empire Magazine

09/24/2007

5/5

Whale's erudite genius brings it all together. He sculpts every nuance of self-parody, social satire, horror, humour, wit and whimsy into a dazzling whole, keeping every one of his fantastical plates spinning until the tragic, inevitable finale.

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Scott Collura

IGN Movies

Apr 15

10/10

Ninety years later, Bride of Frankenstein feels like it might as well have come out yesterday. Stylish, funny, and emotional, it's one of the greatest sequels ever made.

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

Mar 2

[A] superior follow-up to [James Whale's] 1931 horror classic.

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Nov 17

4.5/5

Although there are grand themes at work here, the real power of the piece – as often in the Gothic, comes from the ways in which they clash, rather than from something built out of their unity.

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lisa b

Oct 29

Such a thrill to see this classic on the big screen. Thank you Regal for bringing us the Universal monsters for Halloween.

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Tom

Oct 29

It's absolute PERFECTION.

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Todd B

Oct 29

What a treat it was to see this on a theater screen, and hear "SHE'S ALIVE!" over theater speakers. Such a wonderful film!

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Christian M

@chriss17eu May 6

Although I was fascinated by the first film, I approached this sequel with skepticism—and it mostly disappointed me. Visually, however, it’s stunning: the set design, lighting, and poetic imagery capture the magic of classic cinema, with effects from 1935 that still feel impressive today. Valerie Hobson’s Elizabeth also stands out. The problem lies in the story. The Adam-and-Eve-like premise sounds interesting but feels empty in execution, and Frankenstein’s motivations fail to engage me. The monster’s humanization, especially in the blind man scene, feels unappealing and drags the pacing. Moments meant to be emotional fall flat, leaving me detached. Compared to 'Frankenstein', this sequel feels weaker and poorly structured. Worst of all, the title misleads—the Bride barely appears. Only the final line truly resonates.

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Cem Okan Y

@cmyldz23 Mar 7

Still searching for answers to difficult questions but a bit behind the original movie. on the contrary to its title, the bride is not physically there but it adds to its philosophical discussion

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Kevin L

@Lakeman Feb 28

Yes, a better film overall than the original. The creature develops a near elementary graps of speech and language. The performances are better. Basically gets down to the monster just wants friends and for no one to freak out when seeing him. But the deepest cut comes from the 'friend' made for him, who reacts in much the same way. Wild that she gets so little screen time while being the title character. Why have such a 'leever'? 3.3 stars

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James Whale

Director

Boris Karloff

The Monster (as Karloff)

Elsa Lanchester

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Colin Clive

Dr. Henry Frankenstein

Valerie Hobson

Elizabeth Frankenstein

O.P. Heggie

Hermit

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Uses The Monster For Backup

2:21

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Teaching the Monster Manners

2:37

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Frankenstein Needs a New Heart

2:09

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Shows Henry His Experiment

2:45

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Frankenstein is Hungry

0:58

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Henry Tries to Give the Creature Life

2:59

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - The Monster Meets His Bride

3:00

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Blackmail

0:47

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Has a Plan

2:20

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - She's Alive! She's Alive!

2:27

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Synopsis

After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control.

Director: James Whale
Producer: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Screenwriter: William Hurlbut, John L. Balderston, Mary Shelley
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures, Universal Home Entertainment, Film Classics Inc., Universal International Pictures, Realart Pictures Inc.
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Genre: Horror, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 1935, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Runtime: 1h 15m
Sound Mix: Mono