NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Lisa Frankenstein is the perfect romantic comedy to watch around Halloween, according to PEOPLE staffer Bailey Richards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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The 2024 movie written by Diablo Cody is a campy spin on Mary Shelly\u2019s classic tale set in the ’80s, starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Lisa Frankenstein deserves the same cult-classic status as now-beloved movie Jennifer’s Body, which Diablo Cody also wrote<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
October can be a tough time for rom-com lovers, especially those who don\u2019t do horror movies<\/a>.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s too brisk for binging summer romances, too early for a Love Actually<\/a> rewatch \u2014 it\u2019s not Hugh Grant<\/a> season just yet \u2014 and far too easy to cycle through Nora Ephron<\/a>\u2019s entire autumnal oeurve before landlords even turn the heat on. It\u2019s an annual dilemma that many face, but do not fret: The perfect Halloween rom-com does exist. It\u2019s called Lisa Frankenstein<\/a>.<\/p>\nZelda Williams<\/a>\u2019 directorial debut, penned by Jennifer’s Body<\/a> screenwriter Diablo Cody<\/a>, fills the spooky-romance void you didn’t know you had, crawling into the crevice alongside all-timers like Penelope, Edward Scissorhands and Practical Magic. Perhaps better described by its tagline \u201ccoming of rage love story,\u201d it is the ideal Halloween watch for non-horror buffs, offering up an eccentric and romantic \u201880s-tinged spin on the OG monster tale (yes, the one with a movie adaptation starring Jacob Elordi currently in theaters<\/a>) that never takes itself too seriously.<\/p>\nLisa Frankenstein centers on awkward and antisocial high schooler Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton<\/a>) after the violent demise of her mother. Her father (Stranger Things\u2019 Joe Chrest) has found a new family in Janet (Carla Gugino<\/a>), a Cinderella-level evil stepmother clad in shoulder pads and legwarmers, and Taffy (Liza Soberano), Janet\u2019s valley-girl daughter with a heart of gold buried beneath a passive aggressive exterior.<\/p>\n![\"Michele](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Ot1l8fKS3k0PovIy62zlyg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/b4d059822d65fb3e7e11fe5936108b9c\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nMichele K. Short\/Focus Features<\/p>\n
Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n
Things take a turn for the whimsical when, with the help of some lightning \u2014 and later, Taffy\u2019s tanning bed \u2014 Lisa finds a companion in an undead, Victorian-era Cole Sprouse<\/a>, a hopeless romantic who communicates exclusively in grunts, and whose devotion to Lisa knows no bounds. (And I mean no bounds.)<\/p>\nIt\u2019s Warm Bodies meets May with a candy-goth aesthetic \u00e0 la Sinead from But I\u2019m a Cheerleader, if that means anything to you. If it does, you will probably love this film.<\/p>\n
When it first hit theaters last February, a lot of people did not.<\/p>\n
Much like Jennifer\u2019s Body 15 years earlier,<\/a> Lisa Frankenstein had a lackluster box office run, and inspired lukewarm critic reviews. (The Guardian<\/a> billed Lisa Frankenstein as \u201ca wannabe cult classic that you\u2019ll have sadly forgotten by the morning.\u201d Ouch!)<\/p>\nBut if TikTok chatter is any indication, just the opposite has happened: The horror-romance is also already on the road to cult status, similar to Cody\u2019s Megan Fox-fronted opus.<\/a> This comment also tickles me, given just how often lines from the film inevitably pop into my head. (Lisa: \u201cHe doesn’t play sports, he’s cerebral.” Taffy: \u201cHe’s in a wheelchair?\u201d)<\/p>\n![\"Michele](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/s0KrAUcdSSBfjQUIdbzQlg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/6969b7cb1c512ffec933e6cee1f7d733\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nMichele K. Short\/FOCUS FEATURES<\/p>\n
Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n
Not to mention the stunning, black-and-white dream sequence in which Newton dons a Victorian-style Pabst Blue Ribbon gown and Bride of Frankenstein-inspired hair. I think about it daily. Oh, and the Tim Burton<\/a>-esque animated opening sequence that doubles as the origin of Sprouse’s creature.<\/p>\nThis movie oozes style \u2014 and actual undead sludge, occasionally \u2014 along with Cody\u2019s signature sense of humor.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018I got to go change my pad\u2019 is one of the lines expected to trigger howls of laughter,\u201d reads an AP News<\/a> review that dubbed the film \u201cunwatchable.\u201d Guess what? For me and my friends, it did, thanks to Newton\u2019s earnest yet deadpan delivery. People swear they want a quirky, offbeat protagonist until they actually get one!<\/p>\nSullen and death-obsessed, Lisa has no filter, a flair for the dramatic and a body full of raging hormones. She\u2019s weird, and refuses to apologize for it; why should she? One of her best moments comes in the form of a monologue that \u2014 without spoiling \u2014 will speak to any woman who has ever dated a self-described \u201cartistic\u201d or \u201csensitive\u201d man. It\u2019s bloody brilliant. (And shortly thereafter, just plain bloody.)<\/p>\n
![\"Michele](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Arzfz3EBYCO242xSAyeA0w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/357791b07a09e11c0d2224370e8760a4\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nMichele K. Short\/FOCUS FEATURES<\/p>\n
Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n
Lisa Frankenstein is the perfect romantic comedy to watch around Halloween, according to PEOPLE staffer Bailey Richards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The 2024 movie written by Diablo Cody is a campy spin on Mary Shelly\u2019s classic tale set in the ’80s, starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Lisa Frankenstein deserves the same cult-classic status as now-beloved movie Jennifer’s Body, which Diablo Cody also wrote<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
October can be a tough time for rom-com lovers, especially those who don\u2019t do horror movies<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s too brisk for binging summer romances, too early for a Love Actually<\/a> rewatch \u2014 it\u2019s not Hugh Grant<\/a> season just yet \u2014 and far too easy to cycle through Nora Ephron<\/a>\u2019s entire autumnal oeurve before landlords even turn the heat on. It\u2019s an annual dilemma that many face, but do not fret: The perfect Halloween rom-com does exist. It\u2019s called Lisa Frankenstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zelda Williams<\/a>\u2019 directorial debut, penned by Jennifer’s Body<\/a> screenwriter Diablo Cody<\/a>, fills the spooky-romance void you didn’t know you had, crawling into the crevice alongside all-timers like Penelope, Edward Scissorhands and Practical Magic. Perhaps better described by its tagline \u201ccoming of rage love story,\u201d it is the ideal Halloween watch for non-horror buffs, offering up an eccentric and romantic \u201880s-tinged spin on the OG monster tale (yes, the one with a movie adaptation starring Jacob Elordi currently in theaters<\/a>) that never takes itself too seriously.<\/p>\n Lisa Frankenstein centers on awkward and antisocial high schooler Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton<\/a>) after the violent demise of her mother. Her father (Stranger Things\u2019 Joe Chrest) has found a new family in Janet (Carla Gugino<\/a>), a Cinderella-level evil stepmother clad in shoulder pads and legwarmers, and Taffy (Liza Soberano), Janet\u2019s valley-girl daughter with a heart of gold buried beneath a passive aggressive exterior.<\/p>\n Michele K. Short\/Focus Features<\/p>\n Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n Things take a turn for the whimsical when, with the help of some lightning \u2014 and later, Taffy\u2019s tanning bed \u2014 Lisa finds a companion in an undead, Victorian-era Cole Sprouse<\/a>, a hopeless romantic who communicates exclusively in grunts, and whose devotion to Lisa knows no bounds. (And I mean no bounds.)<\/p>\n It\u2019s Warm Bodies meets May with a candy-goth aesthetic \u00e0 la Sinead from But I\u2019m a Cheerleader, if that means anything to you. If it does, you will probably love this film.<\/p>\n When it first hit theaters last February, a lot of people did not.<\/p>\n Much like Jennifer\u2019s Body 15 years earlier,<\/a> Lisa Frankenstein had a lackluster box office run, and inspired lukewarm critic reviews. (The Guardian<\/a> billed Lisa Frankenstein as \u201ca wannabe cult classic that you\u2019ll have sadly forgotten by the morning.\u201d Ouch!)<\/p>\n But if TikTok chatter is any indication, just the opposite has happened: The horror-romance is also already on the road to cult status, similar to Cody\u2019s Megan Fox-fronted opus.<\/a> This comment also tickles me, given just how often lines from the film inevitably pop into my head. (Lisa: \u201cHe doesn’t play sports, he’s cerebral.” Taffy: \u201cHe’s in a wheelchair?\u201d)<\/p>\n Michele K. Short\/FOCUS FEATURES<\/p>\n Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n Not to mention the stunning, black-and-white dream sequence in which Newton dons a Victorian-style Pabst Blue Ribbon gown and Bride of Frankenstein-inspired hair. I think about it daily. Oh, and the Tim Burton<\/a>-esque animated opening sequence that doubles as the origin of Sprouse’s creature.<\/p>\n This movie oozes style \u2014 and actual undead sludge, occasionally \u2014 along with Cody\u2019s signature sense of humor.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018I got to go change my pad\u2019 is one of the lines expected to trigger howls of laughter,\u201d reads an AP News<\/a> review that dubbed the film \u201cunwatchable.\u201d Guess what? For me and my friends, it did, thanks to Newton\u2019s earnest yet deadpan delivery. People swear they want a quirky, offbeat protagonist until they actually get one!<\/p>\n Sullen and death-obsessed, Lisa has no filter, a flair for the dramatic and a body full of raging hormones. She\u2019s weird, and refuses to apologize for it; why should she? One of her best moments comes in the form of a monologue that \u2014 without spoiling \u2014 will speak to any woman who has ever dated a self-described \u201cartistic\u201d or \u201csensitive\u201d man. It\u2019s bloody brilliant. (And shortly thereafter, just plain bloody.)<\/p>\n Michele K. Short\/FOCUS FEATURES<\/p>\n Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton in ‘Lisa Frankenstein’<\/p><\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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