Martin Scorsese Can’t Stop Praising Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
Martin Scorsese says Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix Frankenstein was so potent it lingered in his dreams. The acclaimed adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic is fueling raves across Hollywood and further cementing del Toro’s status as one of the generation’s defining filmmakers.
Martin Scorsese walked out of Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein so wired he literally dreamed about it. That is a flex. And honestly, it fits where this thing is right now: a Netflix-backed take on Mary Shelley's classic that started quiet, then exploded into a full-on phenomenon.
Scorsese could not shake it
At a post-screening panel, Scorsese kept it simple but strong. He called del Toro's film a work that lingers long after you leave the theater and said it even crawled into his sleep.
'It is a remarkable work, and it stays with you. I actually dreamed of it.'
From a shaky festival start to a Netflix surge
This one did not come out of the gate as a universally anointed awards darling. Early showings at Telluride and Venice drew mixed reactions. Then the word-of-mouth engine kicked in, and it did what del Toro movies often do: it found its people.
Audiences showed up on Netflix and in limited theatrical runs across major U.S. cities. The Rotten Tomatoes verified audience score is sitting at 94%, and the movie has climbed into the ranks of Netflix's most-watched titles of the year. Not bad for something that some folks were side-eyeing a few months ago.
The filmmaker fan club is loud
This is where it gets fun: the industry is rallying. Del Toro has been reposting fan art and multi-watch reactions, and a long list of creators has thrown public love his way. Highlights:
- Alfonso Cuarón told him that from the moment they've known each other, del Toro has been talking about making a Frankenstein, and that his understanding of the story and of cinema are intertwined.
- Margot Robbie called the film his 'magnum opus' (via The Hollywood Reporter).
- Bill Hader, Jon Favreau, Jason Reitman, Ava DuVernay, and Hideo Kojima have all chimed in with support.
Context for the crown
Del Toro turning a Gothic staple into a mainstream hit tracks with his résumé. He already has Oscars for The Shape of Water and Pinocchio, and Pan's Labyrinth has lived rent-free in genre brains since 2006 thanks to its nightmarish fairy-tale vibe and unforgettable imagery. Frankenstein lands right in that sweet spot: a personal, handcrafted monster movie that also plays big.
Bottom line: if Scorsese is dreaming about your film, you are doing something right. Frankenstein is not just another Netflix drop. It is the one people are talking about, rewatching, and, apparently, dreaming about.