Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Feminist fury surges in monster remake with nudity, gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Bride!
What's the Story?
In THE BRIDE!, the spirit of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley possesses an escort named Ida (Jessie Buckley) at a mob-run club in 1936 Chicago, leading to Ida's murder. Exhumed and reinvigorated, Ida is brought back to life by Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) as a romantic companion for Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale).
Is It Any Good?
Writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal transforms herself into the mad scientist of experimental cinema here, stitching together tones and influences to energize her Frankenfilm into a true monster mash. The Bride! may have cinephiles leaning in closer, while many mainstream moviegoers could run away aghast. In the opening scene, Shelley speaks from the "underground" to warn viewers that what they're about to see defies genre, and she's not kidding. It's a musical, but it's not. It's a mob movie, but not quite. It's a dark comedy, but not really. It could be described as Dick Tracy meets David Lynch meets Andy Warhol meets The Rocky Horror Picture Show—with a Bonnie and Clyde spin. It lives in the 1930s, with zaps to the '50s, the '80s, and the present. It hearkens to past Frankenstein works, even the silly ones, including Frank puttin' on the ritz à la Young Frankenstein and the 1962 Halloween ditty "The Monster Mash" as a film finisher.
It's a lot, but that in itself is the statement Gyllenhaal is trying to make: Fabulous females are often told they're "too much," to "tone it down," and even quieted to "know their place." So Gyllenhaal dials it up. All the way. To a shriek. Hitting that note may be a glass breaker, but it's also likely to break the patience of many viewers. Could it work for you? Maybe. Messy women are the most memorable, and The Bride is about as brazen and bold as the ink stain blotting her cheek. She's thrillingly rebellious, but the effort is preposterously exhausting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of violence and sexual violence in The Bride! Was it necessary, important, and/or exploitative? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Elsa Lanchester's appearance as the Bride of Frankenstein is actually only in three minutes of the 1935 movie that bears her name, but the character became an icon. Why do you think that is?
How are smoking and drinking portrayed here? Are they glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
How does filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal use centuries-old literature to address the way that women were treated at different points in time? What do you think is the movie's overall message?
Discuss how hair and makeup are used here as storytelling tools. Most of the characters wear the same or very similar clothes throughout—why do you think that choice was made?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 6, 2026
- Cast : Jessie Buckley , Christian Bale , Annette Bening , Penelope Cruz
- Director : Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros. Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Book Characters , Fantasy ( Monsters )
- Run time : 126 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong/bloody violent content, sexual content/nudity and language
- Last updated : March 18, 2026
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