Film Review – The Bride! (2026)

      The Bride!, 2026.

      Written and Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

      Featuring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Penélope Cruz, Jeannie Berlin, John Magaro, Julianne Hough, Louis Cancelmi, Linda Emond, Matthew Maher, Stephanie Troyak, William Hill, Massiel Mordan, and Karin Dreijer.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Set in 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein enlists Dr. Euphronius to assist in creating a companion. They animate a murdered woman, who becomes the Bride, igniting a romance, police intrigue, and significant social upheaval.

      The concept of blending the Bride of Frankenstein with a Bonnie and Clyde tale is an intriguing one that should appeal to a variety of viewers. Writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal deserves credit for making The Bride! anything but tedious. However, upon its conclusion, the film regrettably fails to coalesce into anything that feels emotionally resonant or even coherent.

      Instead of focusing on and elaborating a single idea or genre, Gyllenhaal attempts to combine multiple themes throughout the narrative. This audacity, while commendable, ultimately leads The Bride! to become a haphazard creation with a number of questionable artistic decisions. The film aspires to merge horror with a crime-on-the-run narrative, while also paying homage to the musicals of the 1930s and honoring Mary Shelley by attempting to complete her story—expressing sentiments that perhaps she couldn’t at her time of writing. It employs a simplistic yet effectively functional framing device reminiscent of Bride of Frankenstein and adds an element of possession that translates into feminist fury and a barrage of frenetic, dual-accented dialogue from Jessie Buckley that often requires subtitles.

      Alternatively, it might be more accurate to view the character as a representation of thematic concepts rather than as an entity with substantial dialogue or personality, as the latter is reduced to frenetic chatter or straightforward declarations about the film's themes. At times, watching The Bride! evokes the tone people expected from Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel, although they remain quite dissimilar. A romance unfolds, with the titular Bride emerging as a figure of radical change and empowerment, challenging patriarchal customs and abuse, inspiring a cult-like following that engages in cosplay—a phenomenon reminiscent of the chaos created by Joker’s fans. Even Christian Bale’s character, dubbed Frank, is fixated on musicals (particularly a film star character portrayed by Gyllenhaal’s brother, Jake) and frequently imagines himself on the silver screen, with numerous scenes set in theaters.

      As for Frank, he is depicted as a tender and lonely being who retains the essence of a reanimated corpse from a collection of body parts, now in 1930s Chicago. He requests Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening sporting a mad scientist hairstyle) to create a bride for him. Initially hesitant, she soon assists in exhuming the body of Ida (Jessie Buckley), first introduced in a club where she scorns a local mobster, only for the spirit of Mary Shelley (also played by Jessie Buckley in a spectral form) to influence her with impassioned, English-accented outbursts. This chain of events ultimately leads to a tragic death.

      Once brought back to life, Ida embodies the eloquent, well-read nature of Mary Shelley but remains oblivious to the realities of Frankenstein’s Monster, just as he occasionally fails to grasp that Mary Shelley’s consciousness temporarily takes over. There’s a lot about this setup that is perplexing beyond its intended purpose, which appears to be bridging the emotional and angry sentiments Mary Shelley likely wished to express but was unable to articulate. The film does not clarify this effectively. Regardless, as Ida, devoid of memories, confronts a world rife with misogyny, sexism, and sexual violence, her hybrid character becomes increasingly enraged.

      Desiring to dance, with Frank supportive of her autonomy (he and the doctor lead her to believe she is awakening from an accident and that she is his bride), he is acutely aware that mingling with society might not bode well, given his prolonged experience with rejection. This soon escalates into an encounter with attempted sexual violence, which he fiercely protects her from, although they become famous in a Bonnie and Clyde manner, evading authorities while visiting theaters showcasing musicals, including the aforementioned performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. The deceased are seeking vengeance while addressing the world's injustices.

      In pursuit are a law enforcement pair portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard and Penelope Cruz, where Sarsgaard adopts a pompous, sexist demeanor, as no one believes Cruz is capable of detective work. Nevertheless, these distractions regularly lead her to the key clues. Once the Chicago mob boss discovers that Ida is alive, it triggers another faction intent on eliminating them.

      With Christian Bale somewhat restrained and