'Lisa Frankenstein' review: Goth girl meets cute corpse in Diablo Cody's horror rom-com
An electrifying young cast and throwback 1980s tunes lend a much-needed jolt to “Lisa Frankenstein,” a horror rom-com about reanimated undead love and body-robbing shenanigans.
Thanks to Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (“Juno”) and first-time feature-film director Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin), Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel “Frankenstein” gets a playful and bloody teen-movie reimagining, with Tim Burton movies and “Weird Science” among its many influences. “Lisa” (★★? out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters Friday) centers on a goth girl rather than a mad scientist patching a dude back together, with lively characters and clever, sardonic dialogue giving it a boost when the narrative threatens to fall apart.
Following her mom’s death via axe-wielding madman, movie-loving misfit Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) struggles with adjusting to her new existence and new family when her dad (Joe Chrest) remarries.
She clashes with overbearing, Jazzercising stepmom Janet (Carla Gugino) and her super-positive cheerleader stepsister Taffy (Liza Soberano) tries to change her social standing, but Lisa would rather spend her nights in a cemetery. Her favorite pastime: taking care of the grave of a pianist who died by suicide in 1837 over an unrequited romance.
After a deeply humiliating experience at a party, Lisa goes to her happy place and says the somewhat magical words, “I wish I was with you.” A few well-placed lightning bolts later, the mud-covered Victorian-era corpse (Cole Sprouse) is lumbering into her house missing an ear, a hand and a couple other important appendages. Lisa gives the Creature a bath and takes care of him, which sparks a close connection between the two and also a murder spree that begins accidentally but turns into a vengeful quest.
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This “Frankenstein” puts a nifty spin on the familiar tale: Lisa uses Taffy’s janky tanning machine to reattach found parts to the Creature’s body, and his transformation into a handsome yet still zombified fellow mirrors Lisa’s burgeoning self-confidence. The movie marks Cody’s return to horror comedy after the cult classic “Jennifer’s Body,” and her writing is both subtly wry (including one bit shouting out Pabst the filmmaker and the beer) and insightfully poignant.
Her enjoyable crew of personalities keep the momentum going when “Lisa” leans into high school tropes and madcap police pursuits. The movie also goes heavy on the “Edward Scissorhands” vibe – Lisa might as well be living down the street from Johnny Depp’s shear-happy outcast – but Williams fills the screen with fun design details, set to a soundtrack with REO Speedwagon and When In Rome, plus one memorable flying body part.
From “Freaky” to the upcoming “Abigail,” Newton is quickly becoming one of horror’s freshest faces, and “Riverdale” veteran Sprouse showcases a gift for physical comedy with what amounts to a silent-movie role. His Creature alone is worth the watch, though the movie’s breakout gem is Soberano, who brings scene-stealing verve as the protective Taffy gets caught up in her sibling’s shady business.
While missing a few key pieces that would make it something special, “Lisa Frankenstein” offers up enough to entertain the ’80s kids, the old-school Frankensteiners and the TikTok generation.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lisa Frankenstein' review: Cast jolts Diablo Cody corpse tale
