Del Toro’s usually a master of world-building, but this time he can’t quite keep all the pieces in sync. It’s gorgeous to look at but often sluggish and oddly flat. The film only really comes alive (sorry) once Jacob Elordi’s monster shows up, he’s magnetic: physically commanding, oddly tender, sometimes even scary. Sure, he veers into “interpretive dance final exam” territory now and then, but he still manages to push past the makeup and make the role his own.Oscar Isaac, on... Read more
Del Toro’s usually a master of world-building, but this time he can’t quite keep all the pieces in sync. It’s gorgeous to look at but often sluggish and oddly flat. The film only really comes alive (sorry) once Jacob Elordi’s monster shows up, he’s magnetic: physically commanding, oddly tender, sometimes even scary. Sure, he veers into “interpretive dance final exam” territory now and then, but he still manages to push past the makeup and make the role his own.
Oscar Isaac, on the other hand, is doing some kind of campy British accent like he’s in an SNL sketch, and a bored looking Mia Goth barely registers so the supposed love story just fizzles completely. Add in CGI-heavy violence and endless monologues from both Victor and Frank, and the whole thing becomes a slog. Gorgeous, yes. Cohesive? Not at all. Definitely one of Del Toro’s misfires.
Oscar Isaac, on the other hand, is doing some kind of campy British accent like he’s in an SNL sketch, and a bored looking Mia Goth barely registers so the supposed love story just fizzles completely. Add in CGI-heavy violence and endless monologues from both Victor and Frank, and the whole thing becomes a slog. Gorgeous, yes. Cohesive? Not at all. Definitely one of Del Toro’s misfires.
