Film Review: The Bride

I have always enjoyed Maggie Gyllenhaal as an actress, and while I haven’t seen her first film, The Lost Daughter, after The Bride, I will be watching all of her films from now on.

The Bride takes place in 1930s Chicago, where we find an ancient Frankenstein (Christian Bale) seeking out Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) in the hopes that she will make him a companion. As luck would have it, a hotheaded bohemian woman (Jessie Buckley) recently died after a night of drinking and possession. What happens next is a twisted feminist love story.

Besides the brief teaser I saw on some random day, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into with viewing The Bride. Within seconds of the opening, where we have an intense monologue from a deceased yet trapped Mary Shelley, I quickly realized this was going to be unlike any film I had seen before. Which was brilliant and a breath of fresh air. It’s not an easy feat, especially with an entity that has seen a variety of versions throughout the years, to create something entirely new with a beloved character and story. The Bride is an entertaining and complicated ride through self-discovery and mischief. I would love very much to pick Gyllenhaal’s brain about her journey with this story, for as writer-director, she deserves all the glory of this wonderful film.

I don’t know how I’ve gone through my recent film life without knowing who Buckley is, but oh my goodness, she blew me away. Utterly phenomenal. She’s basically playing three different roles, sometimes all within the same sentence, and you know exactly who she is or isn’t at every moment. Her Bride should be studied in acting classes. Honestly, I don’t know if this movie would have been as impressive with anyone else in the role. Buckley brings life and feist to a complicated situation where anything can happen in this fictional yet real world of the 30s.

There is one element that also makes her performance out of this world, and that’s her chemistry with Bale. Bale, in his own right, is known for disappearing into a role, but alongside Buckley, it’s as if you are watching a documentary of people who were always a part of our history. The way they work together to allow these iconic characters to live in the present ropes you into the story. I don’t know why I ever fathomed this was a remake/reimagining of these characters, because it is anything but. It’s not afraid to dip into the dark that the original novel of Frankenstein brought to the forefront.

Speaking of Buckley and Bale, I really love how so many of the main cast have connections to Gyllenhaal. This film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Hollywood actor Ronnie Reed), Peter Sarsgaard (detective Jake Wiles), and while the former are family, I respect the fact that four people wanted to be in this film with Gyllenhaal at the helm. Maybe it’s just me and having trouble asserting control over those closest to me, but that speaks volumes about how she is as a director. It’s even more astonishing when you consider the type of movie The Bride is, which is a dark psychological thriller that invokes a plethora of thought-provoking feelings. You know you are in good hands when an older sister can boss her little bro around as he literally dances his way through his scenes.

I might be a basic woman, but I love the 20s and 30s era, and while I never would have thought about putting Frankenstein and his Bride in this era, I now can’t imagine it in any other decade. The spunk of the ‘other’ that infiltrated society, to the rebellious attire worn by women, to the devious nature of those in power, The Bride fits perfectly within this time period. In an age where there are endless possibilities, this fantastical story proves that anything can happen.

I feel at a loss for words when it comes to speaking more about this wonderful film. I don’t want to give too much away when it comes to The Bride because I want everyone to go into this film as blind as they can. If anything, I’m annoyed it wasn’t released sooner, for it would have been eligible for awards this season (and Buckley is deserving of every one of them), and I’m afraid it’ll be forgotten about next year (though, to me, that’s inconceivable). It is, however,  out during Women's History Month, and if anything, The Bride and the Bride are nothing short of an example of an empowered woman. 

As I was leaving the theater, I overheard some ladies saying, “Well, this will be this year’s Halloween costume,” and at first, I was uncomfortable. However, the more and more I thought of it, if a large portion of women in October 2026 dress like Buckley’s Bride from the mind of Gyllenhaal, that is not the worst thing they could be wearing. I would be thrilled to see a bunch of Brides enjoying this holiday when the world around them is trying to keep them down.

I can not express how much I enjoyed this movie, and how much I hope people flock to the theater to see The Bride on the big screen. Between the exquisite acting, the flourishing decor, and the alluring time period, Gyllenhaal’s The Bride is a must-see.

Written by Lisa M Mejia
Images provided by Warner Brothers