If Mary Shelley’s original novel was about the dangers of playing God, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! is about the danger of playing by the rules. Stitched together from the parts of 1930s gangster flicks, RKO musicals, and Bonnie and Clyde road movies, the film is a maximalist fever dream that is as exhausting as it is exhilarating.
The Plot: Frankenstein Meets the Mob
Set in a stylized 1930s Chicago, the story follows Ida (Jessie Buckley), a mobster’s moll who dies after a violent confrontation, only to be “reinvigorated” by Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) at the request of a lonely, soulful Frank (Christian Bale).
What follows isn’t the tragic rejection of the 1935 original. Instead, this Bride—sporting a Vivienne Westwood-inspired punk aesthetic and a “black ink” tongue—embraces her second life with a violent, anarchic glee. She and Frank go on a cross-country crime spree, pursued by a pair of detectives (Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz) who seem to be in an entirely different, much more grounded movie.
What the Critics are Saying
The reception has been a polarizing split, currently sitting at around 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The “Pro-Chaos” Camp: Critics from The Guardian and Time Out have hailed it as a “riot” and a “barnstorming” success. They praise the sheer audacity of Gyllenhaal’s vision, arguing that in an era of safe franchise filmmaking, a “glorious cinematic car crash” is exactly what Hollywood needs.
- The “Messy” Camp: On the other side, outlets like World of Reel and The New York Post have panned it as a “tonally incoherent mess.” Many argue the film’s feminist messaging is “didactic” and “half-baked,” with the Daily Bruin noting that the central idea of a “feminist revolution” is mentioned but never truly explored.
- The “Joker” Comparison: Multiple reviews have dubbed it a “feminist Joker: Folie à Deux,” referring to its polarizing musical numbers and its grimy, “edgelord” aesthetic.
The Highlights
- Jessie Buckley is Untethered: Whether you love or hate the film, Buckley’s performance is undeniable. She plays a dual role: the ghost of Mary Shelley (who narrates from a purgatorial limbo) and the reanimated Ida. Critics describe her as “unhinged,” “incandescent,” and “Razzie-worthy” all at once—a performance so big it threatens to swallow the camera.
- Christian Bale’s Soulful Monster: Bale provides the film’s only real heart. His “Frank” is a tender, awkward outcast who just wants to go to the movies, offering a stark contrast to Buckley’s “phosphorescent chaos.”
- Visual Splendor: The collaboration between cinematographer Lawrence Sher (Joker) and costume designer Sandy Powell creates a “retro-futuristic” world that is undeniably stunning to look at, even when the script begins to unravel.
The Verdict
The Bride! is a film made of mismatched limbs that don’t always move in sync. It is overstuffed with meta-commentary, anachronistic music cues (ending, quite literally, with “The Monster Mash”), and a “kitchen sink” approach to genre.
It is not a masterpiece of cohesion, but it is a fascinating “beautiful abomination” that demands to be seen—if only to join the argument.
Final Thought: It’s a movie that “would prefer not to” fit in. You’ll either find it a visionary stroke of genius or a $100 million headache.
