This is the one that started it all. Not only did this film save the Hammer film studio, it resurrected (pun intended) the entire horror film genre. This is my favorite telling of the classic Frankenstein story and because of copyright threats, the story is tweaked here in many ways from the original Mary Shelly classic which may seem to be a bad thing but really, the changes make the entire tale more compelling and engrossing.
Peter Cushing gives a powerful and memorable performance as Dr. Frankenstein and Christopher Lee stars as “the creature.” Because Universal Studios was threatening to sue Hammer if Universal’s creature design or story beats were used, the makeup applied to Lee is totally different than any other frankenstein before. This gives a much more terrifying effect as the creature looks more like what a real collection of dead body parts might actually be, disturbing even to this day.
The gothic Victorian setting gives this film a timeless quality, the plot moves along at a brisk pace, and the acting is top notch throughout. This is the frankenstein movie you need to see.