According to many critics, the 1818 publication of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein created the genre of science fiction, with a tale of a doctor obsessed with conquering death through science. Over 100 years later, the book would spawn a film franchise that accrued dozens of entries since. The cautionary tale of Dr. Frankenstein and his doomed creation still fascinates on screen, even as more than a century has passed since the first film adaptation.
Although Frankenstein has been adapted to film from a number of studios and independent filmmakers, its cinematic legacy has been defined by the monster films from Universal Studios and Hammer Film Productions. The first film version of the story came in 1910, with a short by Thomas Edison Studios, but Universal’s 1931 film has become the definitive version of the story, surpassing even Shelley’s book. Our vision of the monster, and even the method of his creation, is defined by James Whale’s Frankenstein films.
In 1957, after years of being relegated to Universal B-movies, Frankenstein found a new interpretation through Britain’s Hammer Film Productions, and the release of The Curse of Frankenstein, with Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as the monster. Hammer would make seven Frankenstein films in all, earning fans with its dark, gothic themes and graphic, bloodier content and influencing many modern film interpretations.
Meanwhile, different auteurs would be inspired by the Frankenstein story and use it for their own very different films, from Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s Flesh for Frankenstein to Larry Fessenden’s Depraved, and even Bomani J. Story’s South by Southwest film from this year, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster. After more than a century’s worth of Frankenstein movies, a handful stand apart as great cinema, with timeless appeal.
Here are the best Frankenstein movies ever released, ranked.
11
‘Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed’ (1969)
The fifth film in the Hammer series finds Peter Cushing’s version of the doctor putting the brain of a brilliant yet very dead scientist (George Pravda) into a new body, in order to extract his secrets to creating life. In Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Cushing’s great performance results in Dr. Frankenstein at his most depraved, and Freddie Jones is a sorrowful, vengeful monster.
A Slow Burn Horror Sequel
Proper British sensibilities often intersect with dark humor and brutal violence in the film, which delves deeply into the moral and intellectual implications of tinkering with death. The pacing is rather slow, however: it takes nearly an hour for the “experiment” to even get going.
10
‘The Ghost of Frankenstein’ (1942)
Universal tried to stretch the franchise out a bit too long with The Ghost of Frankenstein, the fourth entry in the original series. Lon Chaney Jr. steps into the monster’s boots for the first time, and he does a serviceable job. We learn the monster has once again escaped death from the end of the last film, and Ygor (in a great performance from Bela Lugosi) takes the monster to one of Dr. Frankenstein’s sons, with plans to use him for his own vengeful purposes.
Chaney Tries to Fill Karloff’s Massive Shoes
By the time The Ghost of Frankenstein premiered, fans of the trailblazing horror series were becoming fatigued by the endless sequels and many felt that despite his valiant efforts, Chaney’s performance as the Monster paled in comparison to the magic that was Boris Karloff’s.
9
‘Frankenweenie’ (2012)
Frankenweenie, Tim Burton’s wonderful spin on the Frankenstein tale, is not only true to the spirit of the original film, it expands on the themes of consequences and companionship in hilarious and touching ways. The stop-motion film is actually a remake of his 1984 live-action short film of the same title, made while a young Burton was working at Disney, who subsequently fired him because his work was deemed too scary to screen for young children.
Burton Delivers Horror & Heart
Frankenweenie is no less gothic, but there is genuine heart in the story of a young boy who resurrects his dead dog, Sparky, which leads to others in his town attempting to reanimate their own deceased animals, with chaos ensuing. The fun and wildly entertaining reimagining went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was described by Entertainment Weekly as featuring “exquisite, macabre mayhem and a kind of reanimation all its own.”
8
‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ (1957)
British studio Hammer Films launched its own Frankenstein franchise with The Curse of Frankenstein, a darker, morally complex take on the story compared to Universal’s films. Hammer horror films have because a subgenre of their own, with a dedicated fan base.
Cushing & Lee Dominate the Screen
Peter Cushing may be best known for his role of Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, but he has legions of horror fans from his memorable role as Victor Frankenstein in six Hammer Frankenstein films. This film featured Cushing’s close friend, Christopher Lee, in one of his best performances and his only appearance as the monster in the series.
7
‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ (1948)
Universal had long moved past monster movies by the late 1940s, but in an effort to capitalize on the popularity of their comedy duo Abbott and Costello, the studio conceived a crossover that ended up being much better than it should have. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein finds the duo playing freight company workers making a delivery to a house of horrors, only to discover the real Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster are inside the crates they deliver. They find an unlikely ally in Larry Talbot, aka The Wolf Man, played by Lon Chaney Jr.
A Trailblazing Horror Comedy Classic
Although Universal meant it to be a family-friendly horror comedy, the film is held in high regard by horror fans for several reasons. Glenn Strange, who played Frankenstein’s monster in several previous Universal monster films, reprises the role here. The film is notable for the appearance of Bela Lugosi, who is reprising the role of Dracula for the first time since the original 1931 film, and it is the last time he would play the character. The film is so much fun, we won’t even gripe about Universal making the mistake of calling the monster Frankenstein in the film’s title.
6
‘The Revenge of Frankenstein’ (1957)
Many Hammer Horror fans consider The Revenge of Frankenstein, the second in the series, the best of the Hammer Frankenstein films. After escaping the gallows at the beginning of the film, Dr. Frankenstein begins practicing again under an assumed name, continuing his experiments with a new monster. He transplants the brain of his deformed assistant Karl (Oscar Quitak) into a new, healthy body (Michael Gwynn) assembled from various parts.
Hammer Horror Opts for Colorful Storytelling
Although initially successful, Karl’s new body begins to go insane, embarking on a murderous spree. The Revenge of Frankstenstein was declared by Variety as “a high grade horror film” at the time of its release, with Peter Cushing’s portrayal of the brilliant and manic Dr. Frankenstein being singled out by critics as the horror movie’s finest asset. Motion Picture Daily commended its innovative use of color instead of the traditional black-and-white, calling it “the most notable contribution the Hammers have made to the genre is their stunning use of color for frightening effects.”
5
‘Son of Frankenstein’ (1939)
Son of Frankenstein, the third film in the Universal series, is also the last time Boris Karloff would play the monster in a feature film, and he goes out with a bang in a film that many say is equal in stature to the first two. The film replaces Victor Frankenstein (now dead) with his son, Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (played by Sherlock Holmes actor Basil Rathbone).
A Scene-Stealing Performance by Lugosi
Baron Wolf continues his father’s work by reanimating the monster, with the help of Ygor (Bela Lugosi), who found the monster’s body and saved it fo reanimation. Bela Lugosi gives one of the best performances of his career, and the atmospheric film is one of the better Universal Monster movies, although the plot is a bit too conveniently contrived.
4
‘Frankenstein’ (2025)
Revered for his signature aesthetic and spectacular ability to blend gothicism, fantasy, and horror elements into a spellbinding tale, Guillermo del Toro is looking to provide his own unique spin on the timeless Mary Shelley classic with Frankenstein, which touts a star-studded ensemble cast led by Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. Euphoria alum Elordi appears as the tragic literary figure The Monster, who is frighteningly brought to life through an experiment carried out by the brilliant-yet-egotistical Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Isaac).
Del Toro Infuses ‘Frankenstein’ With Emotional Complexity
Del Toro has been vocal that his version of Frankenstein is not a horror film but rather a poignant exploration of human frailty, monstrosity, familial relationships, and the pursuit of love, with the acclaimed director wanting to make “an incredibly emotional movie.” It seems as though del Toro has succeeded spectacularly, as Frankenstein premiered at the Venice International Film Festival where it competed for the Golden Lion and garnered rave reviews for its stunning gothic visuals, complex storytelling, and fantastic performances by its elite cast.
3
‘Young Frankenstein’ (1974)
Who would have thought that a spoof of Frankenstein movies would turn out to be a love letter to Universal horror? Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein captures the look, feel, and melodrama of James Whale’s Frankenstein films, recreating key scenes with hilarious absurdity. A familiarity with the two Whale films will make the film even more enjoyable, as you realize just how well Mel Brooks lampooned them. There are inside jokes aplenty, and Gene Wilder was arguably never funnier than he was as “Fronken-steen.”
Wilder & Boyle Make a Side-Splitting Duo
Marty Feldman is perfection as Igor, and Peter Boyle’s Monster is comic genius, particularly in the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” scene. Boyle’s scene, with Gene Hackman (in a cameo as The Blind Man) forever ruined the original scene in The Bride of Frankenstein. While there are jokes aplenty, horror fans will appreciate the film’s striking attention to detail, to replicate the tone of the Whale films.
2
‘Frankenstein’ (1931)
James Whale’s landmark film was one of the best movies of 1931, even if Hollywood wasn’t ready to accept it yet. Frankenstein was a horror film with an emotional center, thanks to a superb performance from Boris Karloff that made Frankenstein the king of the Universal monsters.
A Trailblazing Cinematic Masterpiece
The makeup was grotesque but not repulsive, and allowed Karloff to give a moving performance as a sad, lonely creature struggling with his basest emotions. The film did update some details from the book, most notably using electricity to revive the creature (rather than chemicals) a point that has become an accepted point in the story’s mythology.