The Bride! tells the story of a lonely Frankenstein’s monster, known simply as Frank and played by Christian Bale, who travels to 1930s Chicago seeking a companion. He enlists the help of the brilliant Dr. Euphronius, played by Annette Bening, to bring a murdered woman back to life. That reanimated woman becomes the titular Bride, played by Jessie Buckley, and what follows is far stranger and more volatile than either Frank or the doctor could have anticipated.
Once revived, the Bride becomes a radicalized, independent force, and the story spirals into a chaotic romance and a violent cross-country police chase. It is part monster movie, part gangster picture, and part feminist fable, with a pair of Chicago detectives, played by Peter Sarsgaard and Penelope Cruz, hot on the couple’s trail.
The film is the sophomore directorial effort from Maggie Gyllenhaal, following her acclaimed 2021 debut The Lost Daughter. Gyllenhaal drew inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, and was motivated by the fact that the original bride character has almost no voice, seeking to liberate her and give her the space to express herself fully.
It has proven to be a polarizing watch. The film received mixed reviews and was considered a box office disappointment, grossing around $24 million worldwide against a budget of $90 million. Whether it clicks for you or not likely depends on your appetite for ambitious, maximalist filmmaking that swings hard, even if it does not always land.
READ MORE: The Bride! (2026), Movies Like The Bride!
