Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s famous novel, was released late this last summer and immediately critics flocked to review this popular remake.

However, more and more “self-proclaimed critics” now have the ability to watch this adaptation as it was released on Netflix on Nov. 7, 2025.

Despite the mass amount of recreations since the novel’s release, all have diverged from the original text, including del Toro’s recent film.

Beyond the stunning visuals, phenomenal performances and breathtaking cinematography, the story is slightly different than Shelley intended, yet the thought-provoking tale of Frankenstein’s creature stays true.

Some changes in del Toro’s adaptation include the time period of the story, an addition and subtraction of characters and Victor Frankenstein’s family dynamics.

The different renditions of themes from Shelley’s original text doesn’t make del Toro’s adaptation bad, as many critics have said.

Del Toro’s rendition does the same thing many adaptations have done: it retells the story through a different lens.

An adaptation doesn’t need to follow the original text to still be a good film.

Filmmakers take creative liberties when it comes to novel-to-screen adaptations to add a new breath of life to the story and showcase their own thematic goals, while still capturing the essence the original creator intended.

Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” focuses on themes like belonging and family dynamics, like how Jim Sharman, director of Rocky Horror Picture Show, focused on self-discovery and the critique of conformity.

Despite differences, del Toro understands the novel Shelley wrote at just 18 years old.

“Well, first of all, it was written by a teenager that was full of questions and rage and rebellion,” del Toro said in an interview with CBS. “You know, it’s the same questions we have now: What are we? Why am I human? Why am I here?”

According to Variety, del Toro’s changes were him setting out to capture the novel’s heart.

“The usual discourse of Frankenstein has to do with science gone awry,” del Toro told Variety, “But for me, it’s about the human spirit. It’s not a cautionary tale: It’s about forgiveness, understanding and the importance of listening to each other.”

Defending book accuracy with a novel that came out over 200 years ago is unproductive. With differences in thematics and motifs, an adaptation does not need to be completely faithful to still be a great piece of art.