These films have such a delightful charm about them; their exaggerated use of shadows and their quirky but unique set pieces, but most captivating is the fact that they are the original templates for such classic monster imagery.
The genius scientist Henry Frankenstein has found the secrets of life and death, and vows to prove it to his disbelieving mentor, fiancée and best friend by bringing life to a creature he created, regardless of dangerous consequences.
The film opens with a now humorous warning that the film "may horrify" you, and throughout the film this charm remains. While indeed it was barely the 1930s, the exterior scenes are showing their age; the sound design does little to disguise that they are on a stage with reverberating sound. There are also glaring continuity errors and editing issues (such as a character falling onto their back, only for the following shot to show them lying face down).
But the positives remain with the acting. Colin Clive as the intense, mad Doctor Frankenstein is a joy to watch even to this day, and the immortal lines he speaks upon giving the monster life still give genuine shivers, regardless how many times we have heard them spoken since. Truly the original and best Frankenstein.
The film ends a little bluntly, I could have used more to tie up the characters than was given, and I think I preferred 1931's Dracula, but it was still an enjoyable piece of classic cinema.
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