Bride of Frankenstein

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Bride of Frankenstein

1935,

1h 15m,

Horror/

Drama/

Sci-Fi

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Watchlist

Watchlist

97%

58 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control.

Critics Consensus

An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

May 8, 2024

Advertised as a chiller, this film turns out to be something else, having a lot of jollification, nice fancy, elegant mounting -- there is, in short, beauty as well as the beast.

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Simon Braund

Empire Magazine

Sep 24, 2007

5/5

Whale's erudite genius brings it all together. He sculpts every nuance of self-parody, social satire, horror, humour, wit and whimsy into a dazzling whole, keeping every one of his fantastical plates spinning until the tragic, inevitable finale.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Jun 4, 2007

Karloff manages to invest the character with some subtleties of emotion that are surprisingly real and touching.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Oct 9, 2026

6/10

A sequel in which Whale attempts to expand the scope with Boris Karloff and Gothic atmospheres, yet the horror narrative is not immune to its own uneven flaws. [Full review in Spanish]

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Scott Collura

IGN

Apr 15, 2026

10/10

Ninety years later, Bride of Frankenstein feels like it might as well have come out yesterday. Stylish, funny, and emotional, it's one of the greatest sequels ever made.

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

Mar 2, 2026

[A] superior follow-up to [James Whale's] 1931 horror classic.

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Kylo L

Mar 23, 2019

This big tree to "Frankenstein" shrub.

Han R

Mar 4, 2019

Suffers from its era's horrendous habit of soapy overacting, but does a remarkable of job of conveying the humanity of the monster.

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Anakin G

Feb 19, 2019

A sequel done right, more of the material that makes the source material so iconic, the actors back in their classic roles, and special effects that amaze even today makes it an essential watch next to the original.

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Albus R

Nov 2, 2018

Considering I found the original Frankenstein film fairly mediocre, and I really couldn't stand the book, I was surprised how much I enjoyed Bride of Frankenstein. It's a natural progression while still hitting a lot of the same highlights of the first, but its emotional strengths work so much better. The lead of the film is very much the creature, and you really feel for him. His primary drive in the film is just to find a friend, and every time he loses his chance to get a friend you genuinely feel bad for him. The ending is a genuine downer, but it really works and nails in the message. The imagery is great, the black and white visuals looking positively gorgeous, and the whole thing moves at a brisk pace never losing my attention. One of the best in the Universal Monster catalogue.

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Theodore S

Oct 24, 2018

Bride of Frankenstein is a very early example of why Hollywood shouldn't do sequels for great standalone films. This movie is so bad that it undercuts the legacy of the original Frankenstein movie. It turns the monster from a menacing threat to bumbling fool and it features plot points that make absolutely no sense. And when the Bride finally appears, she's not worth the wait. Universal shouldn't have tried to add to Mary Shelley's story.

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Ron L

Oct 20, 2018

This is actually the most one-of-the-kind in the genre at a surprisingly remarkable level when the horror became reversal with the initial, misunderstanding focus going through a very well-written sympathetic direction that not only standardized a structure for a sequel but also the structure of an empathetic monster creature film rather than a first-glanced horror flick. (B+) (Full review TBD)

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James Whale

Director

Boris Karloff

The Monster (as Karloff)

Elsa Lanchester

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Colin Clive

Dr. Henry Frankenstein

Valerie Hobson

Elizabeth Frankenstein

O.P. Heggie

Hermit

Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Uses The Monster For Backup

2:21

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Teaching the Monster Manners

2:37

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Frankenstein Needs a New Heart

2:09

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Shows Henry His Experiment

2:45

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Frankenstein is Hungry

0:58

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Henry Tries to Give the Creature Life

2:59

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - The Monster Meets His Bride

3:00

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Blackmail

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - Pretorius Has a Plan

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Bride of Frankenstein: Official Clip - She's Alive! She's Alive!

2:27

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Synopsis

After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control.

Director: James Whale
Producer: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Screenwriter: William Hurlbut, John L. Balderston, Mary Shelley
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures, Universal Home Entertainment, Film Classics Inc., Universal International Pictures, Realart Pictures Inc.
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Genre: Horror, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 1935, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Runtime: 1h 15m
Sound Mix: Mono

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