Inside Mia Goth’s Elizabeth: The Conscience Guiding Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
In an exclusive interview, Mia Goth reveals how she shaped Elizabeth as the moral compass of Guillermo del Toro’s passion project Frankenstein, and how the director’s obsession fueled every eerie beat.
Mia Goth doing something unexpected in a Guillermo del Toro movie? Yes please. Del Toro's Frankenstein is now on Netflix, and Goth is not playing the role everyone (including me) assumed she would. Instead of a showy monster-adjacent part, she goes quiet and devastating, and it completely works.
Quick rewind on Mia Goth's horror run
Goth has been on a tear the last few years. If you want the modern equivalent of a full-method, leave-it-all-on-the-floor actor in horror, she’s it. Ti West’s X – Pearl – MaXXXine trilogy is a wild achievement, and a lot of people still bristle that the Academy shrugged at her, especially for Pearl. She was also terrific in Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, and a lot of us first clocked how good she was back in Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness.
About that role you thought she was playing
When Goth first got attached to del Toro’s Frankenstein, I figured she’d be the Bride. That is the obvious swing, even though the Bride isn’t actually in Mary Shelley’s novel. (Kenneth Branagh did include the Bride in his movie, which is probably why so many of us default to that idea.)
Who she actually plays, and why it matters
Goth plays Elizabeth, traditionally Victor Frankenstein’s devoted fiancee. Del Toro doesn’t go that route. Here, Elizabeth is married to Victor’s brother, and she sees Jacob Elordi’s Creature with total compassion. That connection shifts the whole story and gives the movie a real tragic pulse. Also notable: Goth spends the film radiating kindness. If you know her work, that’s not the usual lane, which makes the turn even more striking.
- Not Victor’s fiancee this time — Elizabeth is married to his brother
- She’s drawn to Elordi’s Creature, and treats him with unwavering empathy
- Their bond is what gives the movie its most heartbreaking beats
- Goth playing pure goodness from start to finish is a curveball that pays off
Talking to Goth about being the film’s moral center
I spoke with Goth for the movie’s streaming release on Netflix. She came across thoughtful and generous, clearly proud of the part and the collaboration with del Toro. The way she frames Elizabeth — as the story’s conscience — clarifies why the character hits so hard here. It’s a smart, grounded performance that lets the tragedy land without tipping into melodrama.
The full conversation is embedded above. Watch it, then tell me what you thought of the film and Goth’s turn as Elizabeth.