THE BRIDE ! : Tuesday 10th March 2026

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE BRIDE!' at my local independent movie theatre earlier this week, and this American Gothic romance film is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal in only her second Directorial outing following 2021's 'The Lost Daughter', although she has acted in numerous film, television and theatre roles over the years, and has been recognised in many award wins and nominations too. The film draws inspiration from the 1935 film 'Bride of Frankenstein', which was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel 'Frankenstein'. The film had its World Premiere in London on 26th February and was released Stateside and here in Australia last week, having so far grossed US$15M at the Box Office from an US$85M production budget, and generating mixed or average critical reviews. 

The film opens with a black & white close-up of Mary Shelley (Jessie Buckley) speaking from the hereafter, saying she has a story she wanted to tell after publishing her book Frankenstein in 1818, but could not due to her death in 1851. To tell it, she possesses Ida (Jessie Buckley), a woman living in 1936 Chicago, who we are first introduced to in a very busy bar and restaurant, and who in her possessed state proceeds to shout out across the room to all the stunned diners the criminal activities of crime boss Lupino (Zlatko Buric) who is sat at the bar observing her closely. Lupino's henchmen Clyde (John Magaro) and James (Matthew Maher) discreetly kill her afterward, by pushing her down a flight of steps where she tumbles end over end breaking her neck and a leg in the process, and falling in a crumpled heap at the bottom. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Chicago, Frankenstein's monster, aka 'Frank' (Christian Bale), arrives at the house of scientist Dr. Cornelia Euphronius (Annette Bening). Having read about Euphronius' work on reanimation, he persuades her to create a companion for him after a century of abject loneliness. Euphronius and Frank dig up Ida's recently buried corpse from an unmarked cemetery grave, and successfully revive her, but she loses her memory in the process. Frank takes advantage of this and states that she is his Bride and lost her memory in an accident, which she accepts. She then coughs up an inky black substance that was part of the formula to reanimate her, which in turn permanently dyes her tongue, her cheek, her fingers and leaves long trail marks running down her arm and her breast.

Euphronius demands that the pair remain within the confines of her house, but Frank and the Bride have different plans. They go to the cinema to see a movie featuring Frank's favourite Actor Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal) and then go dance in a club. The Bride dances provocatively with other clubbers while Frank sits at the bar and watches on. As they leave, two men harass the Bride and Frank. Frank attempts to diffuse the situation by ignoring their actions, but it all becomes too much for him to bear and he retaliates by repeatedly smashing ones head against a wall, and then stomping on the others head on the gutter, until his head is mush. He tells the Bride to leave him, but she says that she has no where to go and decides to live life as a runaway with him. 

They stow away in a train headed to New York City, killing a security officer who finds them as the train passes through Indiana. Meanwhile, Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Malloy (Penelope Cruz) investigate the murders and eventually follow them to New York.

Frank and the Bride cause chaos at a screening of 'Revolt of the Zombies' and then seek refuge from the Police and an angry mob giving chase to the fleeing pair, at a high-class party. Frank notices Ronnie Reed as one of the guests and interrupts his conversation by expressing his adoration for the Actor, and his gratitude for giving him some modicum of purpose in his life, but is alas dismissed by Reed. Detective Wiles and the Police arrive at the party, but fall back when the Bride briefly holds Reed at gunpoint. Wiles recognises her real identity as Ida. The Bride shoots dead an advancing Police officer wielding a gun. The pair then hot-wire a car, and manage to flee the city.

The Bride and Frank's crime exploits generate much publicity, and Lupino recognises her in a newspaper article. While sat in a restaurant chomping down on freshly cooked lobster Lupino shoots James at point blank range in the head for failing to silence her, and sends of Clyde to kill her again, swearing vengeance on his family if he fails to do so. Meanwhile, Malloy makes a connection between reports of murders and sightings of the pair in cities where Reed's films were set. This prompts Malloy and Wiles to travel to Niagara Falls where they locate the pair just as Frank asks the Bride to marry him. Wiles confronts the Bride and tells her of her true identity as Ida. She shoots him in the lower leg in response. As Frank and the Bride flee, Frank admits that he wasn't entirely honest with her in the beginning and conveys that he actually did not know who she was before she died. She forgives him.

Wiles explains to Malloy that he and Ida were planning to take down Lupino and expresses guilt that his inaction led to her death. He decides to retire and promotes Malloy as his replacement. Malloy tracks Frank and the Bride to a drive-in cinema in Illinois. At the same time, Clyde arrives and fatally shoots Frank in the head. The Bride escapes with Frank's body and returns to Euphronius' laboratory, unaware that Malloy is following her. Euphronius declares that she is incapable of reviving Frank. Clyde breaks into the laboratory and shoots the Bride before leaving. The Police arrive en masse and all begin shooting at the Bride in a relentless hail of bullets. Malloy screams for them to stop, as the Bride's lifeless body slumps on top of Frank. She then orders them to search for Clyde seen exiting the building via the fire escape, leaving Euphronius with the Bride and Frank's corpses, saying 'take as long as you need'! Seemingly possessed by Shelley's spirit, Euphronius decides to revive the couple. Outside, the Police arrest Clyde who they have pinned to the ground, for killing the Bride and Frank. Malloy looks up at the building's upper most floor to see flashes of bright lights shine momentarily from the laboratory. Inside, the revived corpses hands are seen to be moving searching for each other, until they clasp together. 

During an end credits sequence, Lupino is seen to be apprehended by Wiles and the female rioters who were inspired by the Bride's rants, threatening to cut out his tongue, just as Lupino had done to all of his previous victims, and stored them in pickling jars on a shelf in his restaurant for all the world to see.

It's easy to see why 'The Bride' has polarised audiences and critics. On the one hand its good to see Maggie Gyllenhaal trying her hand at an age old story and giving it a bold new revisionist refresh that looks stylish, has high production values, is creative in its execution, has manic energy aplenty and is bolstered by exemplary performances from its two lead players in Buckley and Bale. Buckley's role here is about as far removed from that of Agnes Shakespeare in 'Hamnet' (reviewed last week) as you can get, but she steals the show here once again and proves her versatility and range as one of the most diverse Actors working today. But, on the other hand the screenplay is disjointed, with at times clunky dialogue, unfulfilled character arcs, and too many unrealised sub-plots, that ultimately all add up to a film that displays plenty of style, and less of substance. That said, if you're in the mood for a riff on 'Bonnie and Clyde', female empowerment, the feminist movement, and a reinvigorated look at a horror classic with a modern twist, then you could do worse.

'The Bride' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-