We could see this becoming a bit of a cult classic in years to come.
Lisa Frankenstein, one of 2024’s most underrated movies, is now available to stream via NOW Cinema and Sky Cinema.
From Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno), the romantic comedy horror is set in the ’80s and centres around Lisa (scream queen Kathryn Newton, Abigail) – a goth teen reeling from the gruesome axe-murder of her mother a few months before the start of the film.
Struggling to fit in with her new image-obsessed step-mom (Carla Cugino) and popular step-sister (Liza Soberano), as well as in school, Lisa finds an escape from these tribulations by spending time in a nearby, allegedly haunted graveyard.
When lightning strikes a tombstone in the cemetery, a young man (Cole Sprouse) who died in the Victorian era is brought back to life.
While initially terrified by his Frankenstein-esque appearance, Lisa and ‘the creature’ end up forming an unlikely bond.
At first, Lisa Frankenstein feels like a stylish if derivative homage to similar genre period pieces – the lead character’s struggles in suburbia recall Edward Scissorhands, actor Joe Chrest is cast in a similar role as a detached dad to what he played in Stranger Things.
The movie quickly develops a life of its own, however. This is as it takes a darker turn with Lisa and the creature’s activities becoming more and more criminal.
Particularly impressive is the way Cody and director Zelda Williams, amidst all the fantastical elements and carnage, do effectively capture the feeling of being an outcast as a teen.
And while the film’s tonal shifts won’t be for everyone, we can see this attracting a cult following in the years to come.
You can already see evidence of this in the fact that the movie holds a middling 52% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience score on the site is much higher at 82%.
Here’s a sample of some other positive reviews for Lisa Frankenstein:
Mark Kermode: “Like the creature at the centre of it, this starts out creaky… but then, again, like the creature at the centre of it, it proceeds to find its feet and indeed its voice.”
MovieFreak.com: “I laughed throughout, and even with all the goofily dismembered mayhem, there was an innate sweetness that captured my heart and refused to let it go.”
New York Times: “Brief, pleasant and fun to look at, the movie is not interested in anything more than love and being understood, and in that way, it’s a great callback to teen romances from an earlier era.”
USA Today: “From Freaky to the upcoming Abigail, Newton is quickly becoming one of horror’s freshest faces, and Riverdale veteran Sprouse showcases a gift for physical comedy with what amounts to a silent-movie role.”
How to watch Lisa Frankenstein
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Lisa Frankenstein is available to watch in the UK & Ireland through NOW Cinema and Sky Cinema.
If you want to watch it but want to save the cash, you could use this technique with an Amazon Fire Stick to save money.
The trick is something called ‘leapfrogging’, which is a way to skip between shorter, cheaper subscriptions to watch what you want to watch without signing up for expensive year-long contracts.
For example, you can get a basic Netflix package for €8.99, and stream what you want to watch via your Fire Stick and cancel it before your next bill.
You can then take advantage of the free trials of other services without signing up for them, all from the same place on your Fire Stick, so it’s super easy and convenient!
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