Coming to Blu-Ray at long last (and currently streaming on Peacock as of this writing), underrated horror/comedy/romance Lisa Frankenstein has a hell of a life for the lumbering dead! Written and directed by two bold female creatives in Diablo Cody and Zelda Williams respectively, this flick did not make much of a splash when it premiered in early February. Following the trajectory of another Cody flop, Jennifer’s Body, perhaps Lisa Frankenstein will find new life on home video. That Megan Fox/Amanda Seyfreid romp was personally one of my favorite horror movies of the 2000s; it only feels correct for Cody to return to the genre for round two, considering the obvious cult classic evolution of her unsung, feminine-charged vamp movie. Led by Kathryn Newton (Freaky) and Cole Sprouse (Riverdale), and crackling with the heart of 80s Americana, Diablo Cody seamlessly stitches the humor into the macabre.
Lisa (Newton) is definitely not like other girls. For starters, Lisa spends her spare time hanging out in a cemetery, pining away after the bust of a handsome Victorian man. The wax rubbings from gravestones that Lisa produces adorn the walls in her bedroom, along with posters of classic Universal monsters. Her father (Joe Chrest, Stranger Things) and awful stepmom, Janet (Carla Gugino, The Fall of the House of Usher), wish Lisa was more like her award-winning sister, Taffy (Liza Soberano, Alone/Together), and less… weird. Even though Lisa crushes after the editor in chief at her school paper, Michael (Henry Eikenberry, Euphoria), her drive for life appears almost nonexistent in the aftermath of her mother’s death. Leave it to a literal dead person to inject the vigor back into Lisa’s veins.
After being struck by lightning, the body of The Creature (Sprouse) busts its way into Lisa’s living room. Juxtaposed against Lisa watching Day of the Dead on television, this entrance brilliantly sets the stage for what’s to come. Setting aside her initial repulsion and a stream of vomit, Lisa decides to help rehabilitate this monster to the best of her abilities. So what if his tears smell like “a hot toilet at a carnival!’ We witness his evolution from a decomposed blob to an actual person, becoming more and more human with each subsequent visit to the “Kiss of Life Sun Tanner” in Taffy’s awards shack. Cole Sprouse in this role perfectly plays opposite Newton–much of his acting, executed in grunts, noises, and expressions, particularly impresses given the lack of dialogue. Even from their early scenes together, Cody builds on the relationship organically. The Creature helps Lisa to embrace her grief, loving her from a distance, whilst Lisa begins to break free from her shell of depression.
Lisa starts to change noticeably. She wears Taffy’s clothes to school, picks up a sarcastic wit, and makes serious moves to make sure she loses her virginity to Michael. Along the way, she helps The Creature adjust to life in the modern age. His piano skills give an additional way he can communicate with Lisa, and a reason to have a little break for some “I Can’t Fight This Feeling.” Williams plays with tone quite frequently, embracing the whimsy of Cody’s prose with unique visuals to match. Black and white, cartoonish asides pair well with the bubblegum aesthetic. Newton at the center helps the tonal juggling act stay palatable; as with Freaky before it, Newton knows exactly what type of performance to give as she happily embraces the film’s throwback nature. One or two people seem to deserve their fate (the gag of Janet eating a worm The Creature just hacked up may delight), but ultimately, Lisa’s choices are clearly not meant to be taken seriously. The sweet taste of revenge pollutes Lisa, warping her self-worth and power. Maybe she did need to be sent away “for awhile” after all. Lisa’s sisterly bond with Taffy ends up being one of the more intriguing aspects of the plot—despite being very much Janet’s daughter, Taffy loves and defends Lisa in her own way.
An 80s atmosphere permeates every frame, from the vintage clothes to the deep colors. Carrying the period authenticity, a series of memorable songs ranging from big hits to stellar, mood-relevant covers are sprinkled throughout. Jeffrey Osborne’s “On The Wings Of Love” swings an axe into the film’s most memorable kill sequence. Although this was a PG-13, there are still a few excellent murders that stress just how unhinged Lisa herself has become. Interestingly enough, the most brutal moment on the disc may be that of a limb severing, shown spurting blood in the gag reel far longer than anything we see in the movie itself.
As for the other features on the disc, in addition to the gag reel, a handful of deleted scenes add context to a couple of scenes. In the behind the scenes videos, the cast and crew could not say enough positive things about both Zelda Williams and Diablo Cody. Lisa Frankenstein was clearly a passion project for all involved, and the fondness for the material seems to be something that everyone interviewed has in common. Also included is an audio commentary with Zelda Williams, which I did not personally have a chance to check out. Sitting nicely alongside dark comedies of the 80s and 90s, the old school nature of this horror rom-com brings nostalgic vibes to a whole new generation.
Lisa Frankenstein reanimates to Blu-Ray on Tuesday, April 9th.
