The Bride! (2026) Movie Review

The Bride! (2026) Movie Review: Lost and Confused Voice

So Frankenstein’s in again? But this time, it’s the Bride who gets the limelight. It’s hard not to compare this film with Joker: Folie à Deux because it carries its unique elements and energy. Unfortunately, it also shares many of that film’s shortcomings in the process. While bold and packed with ideas, the execution often falters, resulting in a perplexing and confusing experience. The Bride! is wild, unnerving, and clearly driven by a feminist message, but it ultimately feels aimless - a spray of compelling concepts that never quite come together into a cohesive whole.

Set in the 1930s, a lonely Frankenstein (Christian Bale) travels to Chicago to seek the help of the eccentric scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. Together, they revive a murdered young woman, and The Bride (Jessie Buckley) is born. But with a wild spirit inside her, the Bride quickly becomes something neither of them anticipated. What follows is a chaotic mix of murder, possession, and romance as the creature begins carving her own path.

From the film’s very first scene, you know this is going to be different. It opens with Mary Shelley herself possessing a young woman who will later become the Bride. The concept is certainly unexpected, and it immediately signals the film’s unusual direction. What truly stands out, however, is Jessie Buckley. If there’s one undeniable highlight in The Bride!, it’s her performance. Buckley delivers a captivating showcase of her talent, building on the impressive work we saw from her in Hamnet. Her transitions between the Bride and Mary Shelley feel seamless and require a remarkable level of control and nuance. Christian Bale also delivers a strong performance, and the chemistry between the two monsters adds an intriguing layer to the film.

It’s disheartening then that these performances are ultimately let down by the film’s scattershot narrative. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal fills the film’s more than two-hour runtime with a multitude of ideas and themes, many of which are presented in a heavy-handed manner. Unfortunately, several of these threads are either underdeveloped or left unresolved altogether. While some viewers may find the film’s message empowering, its messy storytelling makes it difficult for the themes to land with real impact. Instead of feeling moved, we often felt confused by the film’s constant shifts. The Bride! isn’t entirely without purpose, but it often feels like it’s searching for one. Despite its ambitious ideas and strong performances, the film ultimately becomes a confounding and frustrating experience.

Rating: 2 reels