“The dead are angry” proclaims titular character in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold new film The Bride! during in a standoff with police in a swanky New York establishment.
One might assume by the terrified looks on the patrons’ faces that the “dead” are the reanimated couple at the center of the film. However, the rage in question is ignited by more dangerous monsters, the men who walk around in plain sight sexually harassing women, frequently dismissing their contributions, and murdering them with impunity.
Taking Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and throwing them into a colorful blender, Gyllenhaal’s reimagining of those classic stories is a vibrant genre-bending Bonnie and Clyde-style affair. Set in 1936 America, The Bride! introduces audiences to Ida (Jessie Buckley), a working girl, just as her body is being possessed in a bar by the rebellious spirit of Shelley herself (also played by Buckley). As one can imagine, two minds sharing one body leads to many uncontrollable verbal outbursts, some of which directly implicate a local crime boss, Lupino (Zlatko Burić), who would rather not have his dirty laundry aired out.
Pushed to her death after being roughly escorted out, Ida’s deceased corpse is eventually dug up by Frank (Christian Bale), Frankenstein’s monster, and scientist Dr. Cornelia Euphronious (Annette Bening). Living a solitary life for a hundred years, where his only source of joy, when not evading torch barring mobs, is watching movie musicals starring Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), Frank longs for the types of intimacy he sees on screen. Convincing Dr. Euphronious to make him a companion, he is immediately taken with Ida’s beauty.
Brought back to life with no memory of her name or what happened, Ida is told that she is Frank’s fiancée but the details of their courtship remain vague. As he tries to concoct a backstory for their relationship, Ida’s struggles to make sense of her predicament and the dead bodies that are inadvertently starting to pile up. Traveling from Chicago to New York, the unlikely couple try to co-exist in a world that fears them, while avoiding detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard), who has ties to Ida’s past life, and his even smarter secretary Myrna Malloy (Penélope Cruz) who are hot on their trail.
Embodying Ida’s rebellious spirit, Gyllenhaal’s film crackles with the energy of a child on a sugar high. An ambitious work, The Bride! wears its various creative inspirations on its rolled-up sleeves. Everything from 1930’s science fiction movies to classic musicals to Todd Phillips’ Joker films can be seen in Gyllenhaal’s work. It is exciting to observe the director take such a big leap from her previous film, The Lost Daughter which also featured Buckley, but the landing is far from smooth.
Similar to a deejay whose setlist tries to cram in too many vastly different songs, the film’s plotting feels all over the place at times. Just when the audience thinks they are about to learn something important about Ida, the film pivots to one of Frank’s numerous musical dream sequences. As charming as those moments are, and hint to what Joker Folie à Deux could have been, it feels like Gyllenhaal is trying to squeeze everything in the closet into a carry-on.
Overstuffed with ideas, the film also suffers from frequently belaboring the obvious. A monster film for the #MeToo era, The Bride! has plenty to say about the entitlement of men and the need for women to start a revolution against the patriarchy. While it is great to see that all the smartest characters in the film are women, there are times when Gyllenhaal unnecessarily holds the audiences head beneath the waters of symbolism.
The lack of subtly adds to the jarring aspects of the film, but it is hard not to appreciate the big swings that Gyllenhaal takes. Featuring strong performances from the ensemble, Buckley is electrifying in the lead, The Bride! is equally messy and invigorating. An original work with a singular vision, Gyllenhaal’s take on Shelley’s iconic creature is far more intriguing than Guillermo del Toro 2025’s Academy Award nominated Frankenstein. In this IP dominated era of cinema, it is refreshing to see filmmakers taking bold approaches to well-known properties.
In Gyllenhaal’s hands, Frankenstein’s monster still maintains his sense of humanity but she makes it clear that this is ultimately a love story on Ida’s terms. It is Ida’s rebirth and her determination to reclaim her name and power that keep the film engaging even in its rocky moments.
The Bride! may be a messy affair, but its monster size ambition is a pleasure to behold.
