Frankenstein Gets 15 Minute Ovation at Venice

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein debuts at Venice with a 15 minute ovation ahead of a Netflix release.

Frankenstein Receives 15 Minute Ovation at Venice

Guillermo del Toro unveiled Frankenstein at the Venice Film Festival, presenting the long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel. The screening drew an enthusiastic response, with a 15-minute ovation following a premiere that placed the film in competition. The ensemble includes Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the creature, with Mia Goth, Lars Mikkelsen, Christoph Waltz and others in supporting roles. Netflix has announced a November release, positioning the project for streaming audiences around the world.

Del Toro has a track record at Venice, having won the Golden Lion for The Shape of Water and built a reputation for ambitious, visually lush storytelling. In remarks at a press conference, he spoke about the creature as a lifelong obsession rooted in cinema history, aiming to realize a scale and world that match his vision. The film’s look and tone suggest a blend of gothic mood with modern spectacle, signaling a high-stakes collaboration between a filmmaker known for artistry and a streaming platform seeking prestige projects.

The festival moment matters because it sets expectations for both the film’s reception and its release strategy. Del Toro’s name alone brings attention to a festival that often uses premieres to signal a film’s ambitions as much as its content. The ovation hints at audience appetite for lavish, story-driven horror that leans on myth and mythmaking rather than pure shocks. Yet the move to Netflix in November frames Frankenstein as a streaming event as much as a cinema spectacle, which could affect how critics evaluate its cinematic risks. The collaboration also showcases how traditional festival prestige interacts with modern distribution models in a crowded marketplace.

Highlights

The creature may live on in conversations long after the credits roll