When will Frankenstein release on Netflix? Details explored

After a long wait, Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro's version of Mary Shelley's gothic masterpiece, is finally coming out on film. The movie had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2025, which was also Mary Shelley's birthday and is often known as "Frankenstein Day." The movie will only be shown in a few theaters starting October 17, 2025. From November 7, 2025, it will be available to stream around the world on Netflix.

The movie is about Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but deeply flawed scientist who becomes so obsessed with learning that he ends up making life itself. There are both small and large parts to the story. It combines gothic horror with a deeply human story of ambition and consequence.

Del Toro, who has loved Shelley’s novel since childhood, calls the Creature his “patron saint.” His passion infuses every frame of this retelling. 

As he said in an interview with Netflix Tudum on September 1, 2025, 

“I’ve lived with Mary Shelley’s creation all my life. For me, it’s the Bible. But I wanted to make it my own, to sing it back in a different key with a different emotion.”

Origin of Frankenstein on Netflix

The movie Frankenstein is based on Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which came out in 1818 and is often thought of as the first modern science fiction story. The book, which Shelley wrote when she was only 18, is about making things, being responsible, and being alone. It has been used as a model for many adaptations in literature, film, and pop culture for more than 200 years.

For more than 10 years, Guillermo del Toro has wanted to make his own version. He has said many times that the book is his favorite. 

Back in 2010, he said in an interview,

“The monster says, ‘I have such love in me, more than you can imagine. But, if I cannot provoke it, I will provoke fear.’” 

What to expect from Frankenstein

Fans can expect a faithful yet deeply personal retelling. Del Toro’s adaptation focuses on Victor Frankenstein’s hubris and the tragic loneliness of the Creature. The director stated to Netflix Tudum on Septembre 1, 2025, “Mary Shelley’s masterpiece is rife with questions that burn brightly in my soul: existential, tender, savage, doomed questions that only burn in a young mind and only adults and institutions believe they can answer.”

The movie looks at what it means to be human - to want love, to not want to be rejected, and to look for meaning in a world that doesn't seem to care much about those things. The huge, gothic epic combines del Toro's signature visuals with deep moral questions.

Who is the real monster? This is one of the main questions Frankenstein poses. Is it Victor, who acts like a god without taking any responsibility, or is it the Creature, who just wants to be accepted? Del Toro doesn't see monsters as bad guys, but as reflections of how people really are. 

Like his Oscar-winning Pinocchio, del Toro uses this version as a chance to think about being a father, making things, and love. Audiences can expect breathtaking visuals — gothic castles, stormy laboratories, candle-lit corridors — all paired with an emotional story about ambition and its tragic consequences.

Cast of Frankenstein

Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, the obsessive scientist, and Jacob Elordi plays the Creature, who is both scary and tragically human. Elizabeth Lavenza is played by Mia Goth, and Victor's wealthy patron is played by Christoph Waltz.

Felix Kammerer plays William Frankenstein, Lauren Collins plays Claire Frankenstein, Lars Mikkelsen plays Captain Anderson, David Bradley plays the Blind Man, Charles Dance plays Victor's strict father, Ralph Ineson plays Professor Krempe, and Burn Gorman plays Fritz.

Frankenstein will have a global Netflix release on November 7, 2025.