The Bride!’s Immense Failures Are Fun, Actually

The film The Bride! offers a feminist twist on the classic “Bride of Frankenstein” tale. Jessie Buckley plays both Mary Shelley’s spirit – frustrated that she was compelled to write Frankenstein from a male perspective due to the societal norms of her time – and a young woman in the 1930s whose body she inhabits. After taking over this woman’s body and killing her, the spirit battles for control when she’s revived by Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) and a female scientist (Annette Bening). The film features musical numbers that suggest the monsters can control people’s minds, forcing them to dance. The Bride evolves into a feminist symbol, protesting against a woman-killing mob boss and unknowingly shouting “Me too!” – a phrase that resonates with modern feminist ideals. A secondary storyline follows Penélope Cruz as an aspiring detective sidelined due to her gender, constantly delivering lines reminiscent of classic film noir. Christian Bale performs with a comedic energy similar to Young Frankenstein, while Peter Sarsgaard adopts a more realistic approach. Jessie Buckley’s performance feels like an unfinished art piece exploring the complexities of women in Victorian literature.








