Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ‘The Bride!’: First Reactions From the Premiere

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! held its world premiere in London’s West End on Thursday night, and not long after the screening, early reactions to the Warner Bros. film started to hit social media.

Those who attended the premiere praised Gyllenhaal’s ambition and risk taking and also star Jessie Buckley’s performance. There was also praise for co-lead Christian Bale.

Gyllenhaal’s followup to her directorial debut The Lost Daughter, The Bride! is a brash and imaginative take on Mary Shelley’s classic story Frankenstein. Set in 1930s Chicago, the film centers on a lonesome monster, played by Bale, who recruits Dr. Euphronios to create a companion for himself. The two revive a murdered young woman and the titular bride played by Buckley is born. A cracked love story, the monster and his bride then embark on a killing spree, while being pursued by police.

As well as Shelley’s 1818 novel,…