Guillermo del Toro has finally brought his lifelong dream to the screen with a glorious adaptation of Frankenstein—but did you know he’s been telling variations of Mary Shelley’s timeless tale for decades? Four of his past films, he reveals, are essentially Frankenstein stories in disguise. Only four? you might ask. And you’re not alone in that curiosity. Del Toro’s entire career has been a love letter to misunderstood monsters and the tumultuous relationships that create them—themes Shelley herself would recognize. But here’s where it gets controversial: while del Toro’s new Frankenstein film is a direct homage, he argues that Cronos, Mimic, Blade II, and Hellboy are just as much a part of the Frankenstein legacy—and he’s not wrong.
In a recent podcast appearance on Indiewire Filmmaker’s Toolkit, del Toro dove into why these four films resonate so deeply with Shelley’s masterpiece. Take Cronos, his debut feature. It’s the story of Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi), an elderly Mexican man transformed into a vampire—not by a bite, but by a clockwork device crafted by an alchemist obsessed with immortality. Sound familiar? Jesús’s pale, scarred appearance even echoes Boris Karloff’s iconic Creature. And this is the part most people miss: del Toro intentionally gave Jesús a ‘Frankenstein scar’ on his forehead, a subtle nod to Shelley’s creation.
Del Toro’s Frankenstein adds a gut-wrenching twist to the Creature’s torment: Jacob Elordi’s Creature is immortal, doomed to a life of rejection and pain with no escape. In one breathtaking scene, the Creature steals dynamite from his creator (Oscar Isaac), pleading for Victor to light it. The explosion heals him instantly, a cruel reminder of his eternal suffering. This theme of immortality’s pain is echoed in Cronos, where the sun—a vampire’s bane—becomes a symbol of life. Del Toro even rewrites Shelley’s ending, allowing the Creature to accept himself as he stands in a warm sunrise. Bold move? Absolutely. But it’s a powerful reinterpretation that sparks debate: does the Creature deserve redemption, or is he forever cursed?
Now, let’s talk Mimic and Blade II—two films that explore the dangers of science unchecked. In Mimic, Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) creates a genetically engineered insect to combat disease-carrying cockroaches. But her ‘Judas breed’ evolves into man-sized monsters terrorizing Manhattan. Here’s the kicker: del Toro clashed with Harvey and Bob Weinstein during production, an experience he later compared to his father’s kidnapping. ‘The kidnapping made more sense,’ he joked. ‘I knew what they wanted.’ The result? Mimic isn’t the film del Toro envisioned, though his director’s cut comes closer. The monsters here aren’t majestic—they’re terrifying, a far cry from Shelley’s sympathetic Creature. But the core remains: humanity’s hubris creates monsters it can’t control.
Blade II takes a different approach. Wesley Snipes’ Blade allies with vampires to hunt Jared Nomak (Luke Goss), a vampire infected with the ‘Reaper’ virus. Nomak, it turns out, is the son of vampire lord Eli Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), who experimented on him to create a perfect vampire. Controversial take: Damaskinos is the true monster, not Nomak—a theme del Toro revisits in his Frankenstein, where the father’s sins define the Creature’s existence.
Finally, there’s Hellboy. On the surface, it’s a gothic superhero tale, but del Toro transforms Mike Mignola’s comic book hero into a lonely outcast, much like Shelley’s Creature. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a harbinger of the apocalypse raised by Professor Broom (John Hurt), yet he’s a good-natured soul struggling to belong. Del Toro’s film emphasizes Hellboy’s isolation, even having him watch his father’s funeral from the shadows. And this is the part most people miss: del Toro’s portrayal influenced the comics themselves. In The Storm and the Fury, Hellboy recalls Broom reassuring him he’s not a monster—a direct callback to del Toro’s interpretation.
So, are these films truly Frankenstein stories? Del Toro says yes, and his case is compelling. But what do you think? Is del Toro stretching the definition, or is he onto something deeper? Let’s debate in the comments—and while you’re at it, stream del Toro’s Frankenstein on Netflix to see how far the legacy of Shelley’s masterpiece truly reaches.
