Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein (goaded by an even madder scientist) builds his monster a mate. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: James Whale
Written By: Mary Shelley, William Hurlbut, John L. Balderston
Starring: Boris Karloff, Una O'Connor, Elsa Lanchester, E.E. Clive, Valerie Hobson, Dwight Frye, Ernest Thesiger, Gavin Gordon, O.P. Heggie, Lucien Prival, Colin Clive, Douglas Walton
Franchise: Frankenstein (Universal)
AKA: The Bride of Frankenstein
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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Bride of Frankenstein belongs to 91 collections
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 8 |  |
MartinTeller | 72 41st |
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Popular opinion seems to overwhelmingly favor this sequel to the original, but I have to go against the grain on this one. It's much, MUCH goofier with its limp attempts at humor, Dr. Pretorius' miniature creations, and the monster becoming more human. Perhaps this movie is more nuanced than its predecessor, but I found it less exciting and less entertaining.
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| 8 |  |
Barthalen | 70 55th |
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Alternate title: Monsters Get Horny Too.
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| 6 |  |
Magb | 85 73rd |
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The character of the monster is more compelling here than in Frankenstein, especially in that he actually has fundamental human desires of his own instead of acting in a purely instinctual manner. On the technical side of things, Bride of Frankenstein knocks it up several notches from the first film, sporting some seriously impressive special effects. Another high point is Ernest Thesiger's hilariously campy turn as Dr. Pretorius.
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| 5 |  |
Dorkovsky | 7 83rd |
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I prefer it to the first mostly because of the original's familiarity, like the number of times I've seen Young Frankenstein for example, but it's also superior in every technical way too. The special effects, like the scene with the tiny people, holds up incredibly well, even better than a lot of stuff they were doing with mattes and rear projection 20 years later.
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| 5 |  |
BillyShears | 90 92nd |
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The monster being hissed at by the Bride, baby we all been there. Now THIS is a sequel, it’s like four different movies jammed into 75 minutes. It makes the first film feel primitive almost. The Prologue contains a character who rolls his Rs like no other person ever has before or since, total asshole.
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| 5 |  |
billkerwin | 93 91st |
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One of the few sequels that is better than the original. It embraces self-parody--the inevitable fate of sequels--and runs with it. The Monster is more human, Thesiger and his little people charming, and Elsa's hiss and her lightning-bolt hair stick in the memory.
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| 5 |  |
Noblet | 75 57th |
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It's good, but way too silly and even occasionally dumb. I did love Dr. Pretorius for the most part - and the ending is great as well. It's just not as good as the first film.
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| 4 |  |
MacSwell | 80 80th |
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A camp blend of horror, science fiction and comedy, this light-hearted sequel really develops the character of the Monster by affording him a great deal more humanity than before, and this is ably relayed by Karloff, who's exceptional alongside mad scientists Clive and Thesiger. Though the titular Bride looks terrific, it's ultimately rather disappointing how little screen time or personality she's granted.
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| 3 | moviesinhell | 100 97th |
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From Whale's atmospheric direction to Thesiger's supremely perverse Dr. Pretorius to Elsa's electric hairdo and Boris's alternately poignant and pushy Monster, this ranks as one of horrordom's towering achievements.
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| 3 |  |
Red_Falcon_ | 92 98th |
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This film builds upon the framework of the original and adds enough to make it better.The wonderful score by the master Franz Waxman, special effects, distinctive camera work and the use of light and shadows all add a lot of depth to this film.The humor is a nice touch and I liked how they focused more on The Monster and gave him character and a sense of humanity.
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| 3 |  |
Paxton | 92 98th |
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Still amazing.
"It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters. "
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| 3 |  |
backwardsuit | 83 86th |
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Just wonderful. Takes the axe to the 1st movie, splitting it into so many different tonal & cerebral directions it should be a bizarre mess. As it turns out, (through Whale's confident axe-handling) it's a bizarre delight. Despite the wild fragmented ideas it maintains a fluid dreamlike consistency, never losing its punch or sense of playful fun. The supremely assured visuals & performances (Thesiger fuck yeah!) stitch the mismatched parts together & Whale's sly electric touch shocks it to life.
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 83 72nd |
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More interesting examination of the monster than the first and a more robust plot all around.
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| 2 |  |
twincinema | 80 75th |
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The Bride comes out looking like Kramer. I am not sure what is happening on the top of the Monster's head, though (did you notice I didn't call him Frankenstein? Yes, I am very smart).
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| 2 |  |
caiman | 87 85th |
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Expands on the original by adding even more emotional depth to the misunderstood monster. The character himself is given a lot more to do, which in turn allows Karloff to really show off his acting skills. The final creation sequence is even more fun and exciting than the original, and the scene with the blind man in the cabin is absolutely fantastic. A worthy companion to the original.
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| 2 |  |
Mentaculus | 73 59th |
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The polar opposite of the original Frankenstein. The blind friend, entreaties to God, and the religious elements seem very heavy-handed by today's standards. However, it has a creepy, fun allure despite its many flaws.
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| 2 |  |
Luna6ix | 75 52nd |
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One of the first sequels in film history to actually be better than the first. Every bit of this one is better and all the widely remembered scenes from the series are in this movie save maybe two. If you're going through the monster mash movies of the 30's and 40's, don't stop at the first one, watch this one too.
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| 2 |  |
SirStuckey | 65 45th |
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I don't really get why this is considered so much better than the first. They are both fine, but neither is very deep. This one tries to humanize the monster more, which is nice, but it's also goofier, which doesn't fit the theme.
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| 2 |  |
EbelC | 90 97th |
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Most mature, interesting, original and cinematographic movie about the monster. Even telling a completely different story than the book, shares more soul with the original than the first Universal one, and than the supposely faithful Branagh's version.
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| 2 | bob thrillin | 100 99th |
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The greatest film ever made. Every facet of Bride--its wicked sense of humor, its enchanting performances, its moments of genuine pathos, the monumental "creation" scene, the incredible score--is breathtaking, and the LGBT subtext ensures its relevancy in today's world, where "horror" has grown to mean gore and loud noises. It's funny, it's creepy, it's moving, it's ballsy, it's perfect.
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| 1 |  |
Alex Watkins | 3 38th |
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The monster's broken English is too silly for its own good, but he's a much more empathetic creature in general than he was in the first, which I greatly appreciate. And while it strongly favors a sense of camp as opposed to the first, it manages to be pretty funny all the same. I wouldn't say it's much better, but I do favor it a bit. Both are very good films in their own way.
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| 1 |  |
Bojangles | 55 50th |
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This director does some pretty cool stuff, and the special effects/makeup are amazing. However the characters say and do a lot of stupid and unnatural things. The old shrieking windbag of a lady is annoying as hell and her only purpose was to telegraph plot points in the least subtle way possible. I'm pretty sure she yelled directly at the camera a few times. I was hoping Frank would throw her off a cliff or grind her bones into dust... Soyeah: technically gooooooood. Narratively baaaaaad.
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| 1 |  |
Suture Self | 6 54th |
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While the lighter touch makes the portrait of the monster more friendly and tender, I didn't find BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as thrilling as the first. There wasn't a real sense of danger or wonder, just comedy and parody, mixed in with some amusing science experiments and horror elements. I found that Karloff's monster-speak made me sympathize for him less, if only because it was so mawkish and corny. I did like the ending a lot, though.
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| 1 |  |
sebby | 80 91st |
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The last 25 minutes of this film can stand against the final act of any other horror film. As entertaining as it gets.
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| 1 |  |
chadisdanger | 92 97th |
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One of the all time greatest sequels. Whale's secret weapon is his ability to expand on the original while not being restricted by it. This film is simultaneously looser, campier (Dr. Pretorius is a god damn delight), funnier, more symbolic (Christ imagery is obvious but daring in its own way), more nakedly sentimental and even more visually impressive than its predecessor. It's perhaps less scary but this is balanced by being more confident and markedly more entertaining.
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| 1 |  |
hehejaja | 90 91st |
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A burlesque masterwork, offering a gracious atmosphere and mesmerizing images, paced with cleverness and style, radiating tenderness and wit as well as nuanced despondency.
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| 1 |  |
cinema_hell | 80 62nd |
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This is so campy that you can't take it seriously. I see it as some kind of black comedy, instead of an average horror film.
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| 1 | OMercyMe33 | 50 33rd |
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The movie was alright. They really tried hard to make The Monster seem sympathetic - he even cries at one point. The whole aim to humanize The Monster would have worked too if they didn't have him slaughter so many fucking people. Jesus Christ, no wonder you're lonely; stop killing so many people, and maybe they wont hate you so much! It's an okay movie and a decent follow-up to the original. Nothing special, though.
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| 1 | DyanneThorne | 42 24th |
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Contains what must one of the earliest examples of a recap and a retcon. The movie itself seems, very fittingly, to consist mostly of reanimated bits of the old one, with new scenes grafted on here and there. The basic premise is two scientist going "this monster have been killing people left and right, including at least two under-aged girls; let's make him a girlfriend and start breeding them". This goes as well as you would expect.
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| 1 |  |
Fuentissimo | 28 17th |
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I liked the Monster WAY more when he didn't talk. This was so campy, much too over the top for my taste. No real fear here, just a mix of rage and melancholia. The themes also were pushed too hard, strongly prefer the direction of the first Frankenstein as the one deserving of being a "classic"
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| 1 |  |
Jimmy Suede | 82 77th |
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I always figured this movie would be B-movie cheese. I mean, "Bride of Frankenstein"? Come on. But it was actually pretty good; better than the first movie, in my opinion. Same good acting, cooler cinematography and a less disjointed story. It actually expounds the ending of the first movie, which was needed. This movie's ending was abrupt, though. What's with the huge self-destruct lever? Side note: I'm becoming more of a Dwight Frye fan. I'm thrilled that the monster got to kill him again.
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| 1 |  |
Jasongirl67 | 75 69th |
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I admit this is a pretty creative way to continue the story
It’s interesting they came up with the idea to have someone play Mary Shelley and have her continue the story
I feel like the first half of the movie is basically a retelling of what happened in the first movie
This definitely is much more of a comedy
The best scenes are when the Monster becomes friends the blind man
I like it overall but I wish there had been more scenes with the bride
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| Average Percentile 65.8% from 1540 Ratings |  |