Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is out on Netflix, and it’s worth diving deeper into the ending. The tale of Frankenstein dates back to Mary Shelley’s original novel, which was published in 1818 and remains a celebrated classic of Gothic literature. The book, which has been adapted by Hollywood several times, explores the nature of creation and humanity’s role in it. Guillermo del Toro’s filmography has been met with Oscar success and general adoration for his depictions of folkloric tales, horror, and fantastical literature. He joins a long-standing list of great filmmakers to depict some variation of Shelley’s story, from James Whale, Terence Fisher, Mel Brooks, Keneth Branagh, and many more.
The story of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein starts and ends with a confrontation between creature and creator near the Arctic. A Dutch ship captain, Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen), finds Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and the Creature (Jacob Elordi), allowing the two to recount their stories. After the death of Elizabeth at the Creature’s hands, Victor pursued his creation to the Arctic in hopes of revenge, but what ensues is a much more emotional conclusion.
What Happens to the Creature in ‘Frankenstein’s Ending
Victor chases the Creature to the Arctic and attempts to kill him with the most powerful weapon at his disposal yet: dynamite. When even the explosive falls short of defeating the Creature, Victor accepts his defeat and speaks to him before passing. Victor apologizes for his cruelty and violence, resigning to his fate, and the Creature solemnly forgives him. Victor advises the Creature that, if he cannot die, he must live.
There’s an inherent spiritual meaning to this scene, but all audiences see is the Creature stepping out into the frigid Arctic and reaching out to the rising sun. Unlike in Mary Shelley’s novel, the film leaves the Creature’s ending ambiguous yet hopeful, as he reaches toward the beauty of the rising sun, thereby reaching for the possibility of his own life and future.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein notably plays with a new idea, which is that Victor, not the Creature, is the monster. Frankenstein’s Monster is one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, but this version of the story takes much more pity on him. Victor may have the outer beauty of being a man, but Elizabeth loves the Creature regardless, creating a compelling duality.
Why the Captain Turns His Ship to Sail Home Explained
The beginning of the film sees Captain Anderson harshly pushing his men to clear the ice blocking their ship, allowing them to pass through. The conditions are brutal, the work is exhausting, and the spirits are low as he offers no hope or promises, only commanding them to follow through with their jobs so he may make his discovery and seek glory.
Captain Anderson’s ship is on an expedition to the North Pole, an endeavor that has likely been costly for his crew. However, after hearing the stories of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, he realizes that he has become a victim of his own ambition, costing him his humanity. Rather than push forward and risk more lives, he decides to turn back and bring his ship home.
Elizabeth’s Role in ‘Frankenstein’ & What Her Death Means
Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth) is the female lead in Frankenstein, whose scientific curiosities attract Victor to her. He tries to pursue her, but it’s the Creature whom Elizabeth is fascinated by. Victor grows jealous of his own creation and attempts to kill him, accidentally letting the Creature free. The Creature returns on the night when William Frankenstein (Felix Kammerer) and Elizabeth are set to marry, confronting Victor and demanding that he create a companion for him. When Victor declines, the Creature attacks him before Elizabeth intervenes, soothing him. Victor attempts to shoot him, but kills Elizabeth instead.
There are multiple layers to this tragic love triangle, as both Victor and the Creature lose the woman they love in the midst of their struggle. Victor’s ambition has gotten Elizabeth killed; she is an innocent sacrifice who has suffered as a result of his obsession. This sets Victor on a path of revenge, denying his own role in her death. However, when the climactic conversation occurs, the love both Victor and the Creature shared for her allows them to realize that they are both profoundly human.
Mia Goth plays both Elizabeth and Claire Frankenstein, Victor’s mother, adding a layer to the film’s central themes.
‘Frankenstein’s Angel of Death Meaning
The Angel of Death is one of the most consistent symbols in Frankenstein, as the statue in Victor’s childhood home serves as a physical representation of death itself. While this could be interpreted in a number of ways, it seems likely that the Angel serves as a reminder that death is part of the natural course of existence, and that it is not meant for man to conquer.
‘Frankenstein’s Ending Quote & Who Lord Byron Is
The film ends with the quote “The heart will break, yet brokenly live on,” from Lord Byron. This is a line from a poem by another 19th-century English writer and poet who happened to be one of Mary Shelley’s peers. This makes it a rather strange choice to put a quote of his, and not one of hers, at the end of Frankenstein. Regardless, the quote is quite beautiful, and ties to the bittersweet notion of hope at the film’s ending, suggesting that even if the Creature is heartbroken, he is still alive, and in life, there is always hope.
How Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ Ending Differs From the Novel
Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation, all things considered, is actually one of the more faithful Frankenstein depictions we’ve seen. That said, the biggest difference comes in the ending. In the novel, Victor intends to keep chasing the Creature, hoping to kill him in the Arctic, but he dies aboard the ship before he can continue his pursuit. Then, the Creature arrives, mourns Victor’s death, and then exits the ship with the intent of setting himself a blaze on a pyre, ending his own life.
The Real Meaning of ‘Frankenstein’ Explained
Frankenstein, which is notably paired with the alternate title The Modern Prometheus, in Mary Shelley’s original publication, is a tragedy of humankind’s ambition. The film adds elements to this by exploring Victor Frankenstein’s childhood. He was raised to be a physician by his cruel, unwavering father, and is characterized as being in love with his mother in a Freudian sense, making it all the more impactful when she dies. When his father, the man Victor hates, and who serves as a symbol of strength and scientific supremacy, fails to save his mother, Victor’s life and psychology are upended.
Victor Frankenstein spends every waking moment of his life pursuing greatness. He not only wishes to surpass his father’s capability to save lives, but he also seeks to rid the world of death entirely through reanimation. His experiments are seen as diabolical and unethical, but he persists. The only hurdle for him is Elizabeth, a woman who evidently resembles his mother and with whom he feels spiritually aligned. When he realizes he cannot have her, his work once again takes precedence, and he succeeds. Victor Frankenstein is able to create life; he is a man playing God.
The tale of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein exhibits the cost of playing God. By attempting to create life or to prevent death, Victor upsets the natural course of things, and what ensues is tragedy. Not only does he lose his own life, but the life of his love. All that remains is the Creature, a being whose existence stems from selfish egotism. This is a being del Toro seems to have great sympathy for, as the Creature, ultimately, is equally in the dark and purposeless as a human being might feel. And yet, the sun rises, so there may yet be hope for him.
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Runtime
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149 Minutes
