THE BRIDE!
One of the wildest movies of the year is The Bride! from writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal. When I say wild, I don’t mean crazy horror movie blood and guts or twists and turns. I say wild as it’s an explosion of ideas all stitched together like its namesake. Gyllenhaal hopes it feels cohesive and different. It’s messy, it’s head-scratching, it will have you talking! Does it all work? No. Does it feel like it comes from a director willing to take risks? YES! I will always appreciate a director or actor taking risks versus a movie that plays it completely safe.
Maggie Gyllenhaal saw a tattoo of the legendary horror creature The Bride of Frankenstein and wanted to know more. She wrote and directed her vision of the character with The Bride. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and the character The Bride of Frankenstein popped up for a couple of minutes in James Whale’s iconic film in 1935 and was played by Elsa Lanchester. Maggie Gyllenhaal sets this in 1936 and casts Oscar winner Jessie Buckley in the title role. We first meet her character, Ida, drunk and disorderly at a nightclub before she’s fatally pushed down a flight of stairs. The story then picks up with Christian Bale as Frank, the creature reinvigorated by Dr. Frankenstein who he is named after. Frank knocks on the door of Dr. Euphronious (Bening) desperate for her to reinvigorate a woman to be like him. He’s over 100 years old now and desperate for a companion. They successfully bring Ida back to life. It’s a wild adventure for Ida and Frank as they find themselves on the run from two cops (Sarsgaard and Cruz) after they kill a few men who attacked Ida.
SPECIAL FEATURES from the press release
- Stitching Together The Bride! – Uncover the artistry behind The Bride! with exclusive footage and revealing interviews. From Maggie Gyllenhaal’s daring direction to the cast’s transformative performances, witness how this modern masterpiece was brought to life.
- Designing the Look – From first sketch to final transformation, explore how The Bride!’s unforgettable creatures took shape. With exclusive make-up tests, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast insights, discover the artistry that turned vision into cinematic legend.
- The Muse and the Reimagined Monster – In The Bride!, Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale embody the intertwined forces of creation and consequence. Guided by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s vision, their performances reveal how love, pain, and artistry can reanimate even the darkest myths.
- The Bride! Party – A bride is always the center of attention—especially this one. Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, and Peter Sarsgaard reveal their deepest thoughts on The Bride, Frank, and the unforgettable film they all leapt to be in.
Here’s a video I made for TikTok
