Diablo Cody’s newest film “Lisa Frankenstein” is a great rom-com for the weird and the ‘80s obsessed. Set in the late 1980s, Lisa Swallows, a teenage girl obsessed with death and the macabre, falls in love with a bust of a handsome, young man at a cemetery. A lightning storm brings him back to life, and The Creature finds his way back to Lisa.
In true Heathers-esque fashion, the two fall in love and decide to murder a few of the town’s most unpleasant individuals. After each murder, Lisa sews on a new functional body part for The Creature, and he and his emotions start to become more alive throughout the movie.
Lisa is played by Kathryn Newton, an up-and-coming actress who has been a regular in young adult movies and series. She played Cassie Lang in the latest Ant-Man movie, was fantastic in Amazon’s “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” and the horror comedy slasher “Freaky.” The latter showcased her comedic timing and enthusiasm for the weird and spooky.
Cole Sprouse plays The Creature in this tale. He never spoke a word, just a bunch of gurgles here and there. He was perfect for the role due to his smolder and the way he can manipulate his face to portray a range of emotions. It was easy to figure out what he wanted to say, and I felt bad for him not being able to use his voice at times.
Lisa Frankenstein is a modernized version and mash-up of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Lisa helped The Creature as much as he helped her, which made their relationship in the movie so good.
The film was written by Diablo Cody, whose films, “Jennifer’s Body” and “Juno,” became sleeper hits and cult classics in the last few years. Cody is exceptional at capturing teenage angst and vulnerability in her dialogue. Even though this film doesn’t contain her usual snappy quips and iconic quotes, it does not affect the outcome of the overall film.
The characters are all well-rounded and complex, especially Lisa’s stepsister. She is definitely not the typical cruel stepsister; she actually has heart and tries to get Lisa to break her shell throughout the film. The stepsister only becomes a problem when her mother goes “missing,” a transition that was shocking. It was interesting to see how Lisa dealt with this change in the stepsister’s personality, as well.
The film was beautifully directed by Zelda Williams. The bright colors with the lights, the set decorations and the outfits are extremely aesthetically pleasing. One of my favorite moments of the movie was when there was a reference to the silent film “A Trip to the Moon,” and the set and costuming got a complete makeover for the drug-induced dream sequence.
Pixies, The Cult, The Chameleons and Echo & the Bunnymen were just a few bands that were featured during the film. The soundtrack fit the theme and the mood of the film brilliantly, all it needed was a Cure song. Usually, modern movies set in the ‘80s use the same bands and songs over and over again. However, this one did a good job at pulling from the discography of some lesser-heard bands for the movie.
I may be a little biased saying that I liked the movie, given that I listen to eighties alternative music and have a weird obsession with the decade, so I would like to hear what other students around campus have to say about the film.
Lisa Frankesntein was a silly and fun movie. It did lack some spontaneity and elements that could have made this movie better and a little less dull. If it was not for the eighties aesthetic and the soundtrack, I would have not liked this film as much as I did.
