“Lisa Frankenstein” hit theaters on February 9 and was expected to be a romantic-comedy, but surprisingly ended up being quite the suspense film. 

The movie follows a high school girl Lisa Swallows, played by actress Kathryn Newton, who witnessed the murder of her mother and since then has had a hard time fitting in with her new family. Some people find her odd, as she barely speaks and spends most of her days in an abandoned cemetery talking to a grave. On a drunken night, Lisa wishes to be with the corpse, “The Creature”, played by Cole Sprouse, who comes alive and they become fast friends.

They embark on murderous adventures together, getting revenge from those who have wronged Lisa, and magically turn The Creature back into a human.

After being caught killing Lisa’s stepsister’s boyfriend, the two decide to kill themselves in a tanning bed and the film ends with them both as humans, reading poetry on a bench; though it’s clear that Lisa is now dead. The movie additionally, was written by Diablo Cody, who popularly wrote late 2000s hits like “Juno,” and “Jennifer’s Body”.

Going into this movie, if one had only seen the trailer, they would expect a funny and entertaining comedy. Though while the movie was humorous, there were also morbid subplots and powerful messages of love and grief. Lisa’s love for The Creature symbolized the teen rebellion that was a direct result of the loss of her mom. The contrast between love and grief and how they overlap is touching, especially in the scene where Lisa explains to the monster that time does not heal wounds: “Time is the wound.” The movie was campy (in a good way), beautiful, funny, and also deep. 

A big contributor to the five-star rating is how well the director and cinematographer put together certain scenes. There is a scene in the beginning where Lisa is high on an unknown drug and walks through a hallway only to end up in a cemetery. The way it was filmed was seamless and aesthetically pleasing to watch. There was also a dream sequence that transitioned through Lisa’s eyes opening and closing, which was particularly enticing. The cinematography was captivating, the color scheme was funky and fun, and the director’s style was refreshing. 

Not only was the overall cinematography stunning, but the soundtrack added so much to many moments. Lisa sang along to “Can’t Fight This Feeling” with The Creature, and it was just the cherry on top of the Sunday for the scene. There were also many original compositions for the movie like “Sad Lisa,” “Is It Peaceful Down There?” and “Love In Flames.” All the pieces were crafted with such a passionate intent and further strengthened the spooky vibe of the film. 

“Lisa Frankenstein” had such good humor and many laughable moments. It was funny for both children and adults with its use of sarcasm, dark humor, and mildly explicit comments. Lisa had a jarring personality that contrasted well with her bubbly step-sister. Overall, it was enjoyable to watch and the jokes were perfectly placed.

This horror rom-com was devised with such passion, and it came out beautifully. “Lisa Frankenstein” would be a super fun film to watch with families and friends.