Director: Zelda Williams
Writer: Diablo Cody
Cast: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest, Henry Eikenberry, Joey Harris

Back in the 80s and 90s, teen movies were all the rage, and they were extremely popular, likely because they were highly relatable. Fantastical, in a way, but not out of the realms of believability and possibility. These days, teen movies (and shows) have more of a tendency to either err of the (much) darker side of teen angst and issues or indulge the imagination to impossible degrees. Can we ever balance the two, the relatability of the 80s/90s movies with the flights of fancy and darkness oft seen in current films? It seems Lisa Frankenstein tries to do just that, but does it succeed in stitching together multiple inspirations and genres, or has Diablo Cody become the creator to her own eponymous monster-like creation?

It’s 1989, and Lisa Swallows (Newton), an art-loving, old-movies-watching, poetry-writing goth girl, lives with her dad Dale (Chrest), evil stepmother Janet (Gugino), and supportive stepsister Taffy (Soberano) after the death of her mother. She is an outcast at school, mostly owing to her near-mutism. She spends much of her time at a graveyard taking pencil rubbings, and particularly enjoys sitting at one specific grave of a young Victorian man who died in 1837. After a storm and a lightning strike, the young man, known as ‘the Creature’, is reanimated and finds his way to Lisa. Together they embark on a series of ‘mishaps’ that bring them closer together, as well as bringing Lisa more and more out of her shell.

Being set at the tail end of the 80s, this film does pay homage to teen films of the likes of Pretty in Pink and Heathers, as well as the more gothic Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. It blends the teenage problems of then and now with gothic cult hits that are still very much enjoyed today. In typical Diablo Cody style, teen angst and social issues (see Juno) are mixed with dark comedy and violence (see Jennifer’s Body, which is apparently set in the same universe as Lisa Frankenstein) and some extra mental health issues thrown in (see Tully). Between Cody’s writing and Williams’s direction (in her feature-length directorial debut), they have managed to mix everything we like about teen movies with multiple genres to create an enjoyable “coming-of-rage” story that is relatable in many ways while also providing escapism in the form of fantasy. It’s got its moments of light humour followed by twisted events, romance followed by revenge, and pink happiness followed by gothic loneliness. There’s something for everyone here.

In the same vein as the plot, the sets are very chalk-and-cheese in a way that makes it work. Lisa is very much a stereotypical “high school outcast”, her bedroom walls covered in sketches and band posters and old movie posters, and yet the wallpaper, and the very house, is pink. It’s made clear to the audience that she doesn’t really belong in this house. The costumes also scream 1980s, but the gothic influence becomes more apparent as the film goes on. The soundtrack is rather awesome, reflecting the time period and Lisa’s own tastes in music (mostly). The Creature’s own costume and hair/make up progresses in tandem with Lisa’s and the path of the story, transforming him and letting us see him the same way Lisa does. Williams’s overall direction is superb for a debut, and it does feel like she did her homework to pay homage to the film’s inspirations as well as inject her own vision onto it.

Newton’s performance is fantastic, as it would have to be, as when Lisa is alone with the Creature, she does all the talking. Her comic timing is great, as is her physical comedy, and she can keep audiences engaged when she is, essentially, monologuing. Sprouse also has great screen presence in a predominantly silent role. His eyes, expressions and body language go a long way to express the Creature’s feelings as well as encourage audiences to feel for him. He too has some decent comical moments, together with Newton they make for great scene partners, very Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, but with more comedy. Soberano’s character, Lisa’s stepsister Taffy, is a likable one, and Soberano easily prevents her from falling too far into sickeningly sweet, instead offering a counterbalance to Lisa’s darkness. Gugino succeeds at providing an extremely unlikable stepparent, whereas Chrest’s role as Lisa’s father seems rather redundant at times, almost fading into the background.

If you’re a fan of the aforementioned teen movies of 30 years ago, you’ll likely enjoy this one. It’s got a bit of most things genre-wise and has a sturdy and fun story with characters that are at times relatable and other times unhinged enough to keep things interesting. The same can be said to any Diablo Cody fans – she has once again written a spot-on teen movie (that is also very much for adults) that is more fun and interesting than most teen movies made these days. She also chose well to have Zelda Williams at the helm (or whomever made the call, it was the right one). This is sure to become a cult classic all of its own.