Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Stuns Venice With 13-Minute Standing Ovation

Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited reimagining of Frankenstein electrified the Venice Film Festival on Saturday night (Aug. 30), receiving a thunderous 13-minute standing ovation — the longest of this year’s festival so far. The gothic epic brought both Oscar Isaac, who stars as the brilliant but tormented Dr. Frankenstein, and Jacob Elordi, playing his monstrous creation, to visible tears as the crowd’s applause refused to end.

Guillermo del Toro, beaming from the stage, embraced his leading men in emotional hugs. At the same time, Oscar Isaac kissed Jacob Elordi on the cheek in a heartfelt moment that quickly went viral on social media. The director, who won Venice’s prestigious Golden Lion in 2017 with The Shape of Water, may be on track to repeat history with his $120 million reimagining of Mary Shelley’s legendary novel.

A Bold Retelling of a Classic Horror

Running at 149 minutes, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein retells Shelley’s 1818 novel as a visually stunning, emotionally layered gothic spectacle. Oscar Isaac delivers intensity as the obsessed scientist, while Jacob Elordi — almost unrecognizable after 10 hours of prosthetic makeup daily — embodies the creature’s tragic journey from innocence to disillusionment.

“I’ve been following the creature since I was a kid,” Guillermo del Toro said earlier in the day at a Venice press conference. “Now that it’s finished, I’m in postpartum depression,” he joked, signaling just how personal the project has been for him.

Oscar Isaac with Guillermo del Toro in Netflix’s Frankenstein

Red Carpet Star Power

The film’s premiere was a glittering event, with co-stars Mia Goth (as Elizabeth Lavenza, Frankenstein’s love interest), Christoph Waltz (as arms merchant Harlander), and Felix Kammerer (as William, Frankenstein’s younger brother) in attendance. Hollywood stars, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jessica Williams, Jesse Williams, and Sofia Carson, also graced the red carpet, underscoring the film’s position as one of the most anticipated releases of the year.

Outside the theater, fans screamed for Elordi, with one yelling “We love you, Jacob!” — to which the Euphoria star replied warmly, “Love you too!”

 

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With its October 17 theatrical debut and November 7 Netflix release, Frankenstein is positioned squarely in awards season territory. Given del Toro’s track record — The Shape of Water went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director — critics are already predicting that Frankenstein could be a frontrunner for both Venice’s Golden Lion and multiple Oscar nominations.