Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride Walks a Tight Rope of Absurdity and Drama
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
By Luis Zonenberg
It seems that Halloween has arrived early yet again, with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal returning to the director’s chair with her latest film, The Bride! This particular film marks Gyllenhaal’s second directorial effort following The Lost Daughter, which was released back in 2021. The film blends elements of Bonnie and Clyde with The Bride of Frankenstein, which proved polarizing for most critics. Considering how the film is currently bombing at the box office, I wanted to take a closer look and see if the film truly deserved this much negativity.
The story focuses on Frankenstein’s monster aka “Frank” (Christian Bale) who seeks help from a scientist called Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening). After enduring a century of loneliness, Frank pleads with Dr. Euphronius to use her knowledge of reanimation to construct a companion for him to love and cherish. Eventually, they dig up the corpse of a woman named Ida (Jessie Buckley) and successfully bring her back to life, despite her losing her memory in the process.
Ida struggles with her new surroundings, eventually bonding with Frank as the two go partying at a late-night club. Things soon take a turn for the worse when Ida gets assaulted by two men, with Frank killing them before they could go any further. The two soon find themselves on the run, relentlessly pursued by down-on-his-luck police detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant, Myrna (Penelope Cruz).
The movie spreads out its bizarre concept too thin, struggling to find its footing in the first third before the main story kicks into high gear. The movie attempts to juggle the absurdity of the story with the more emotionally dramatic moments, trying its best to find some middle ground between the two. This results in a disjointed tone, with the movie never fully embracing either concept and thus creating an awkward mesh of conflicting tones.
Thankfully the cast is able to elevate some of the sub-par material. Christian Bale especially is fantastic as Frank, balancing both the sincerity and awkwardness of his character. Jessie Buckley is also quite entertaining as the titular Bride, even turning in a dual performance as she doubled as the ghost of author Mary Shelley. Buckley steals the show with her manic energy, though her chemistry with Bale leaves more to be desired. Other supporting stars like Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard and Annette Bening anchor the film with their devoted performances.
Visually the film looked stunning, with the photography capturing not only the glitz and glamor of the 1930s, but also its dinginess and depravity. The photography brilliantly uses color to contrast the real world environment with the character’s imaginations, visualizing it in a way that’s extremely clever and easy to digest. The film also utilizes a variety of moving shots that amps up the momentum and frantic energy of the more action-packed scenes.
The makeup incorporated for the two main characters was also quite breathtaking in its own right. The attention to detail when it came to numerous scars and stitches on Frank’s face left enough room for Bale to emote while also visualizing the fatigue and ugliness of his character. This contrasts the design of Ida, whose puffy hair and blood-spattered face showcases a pale but more natural beauty that’s eccentric enough to appeal not only Frank but to other characters as well.
The film might be a mixed bag for some audiences, though I feel its technical merits offer enough to make this film a serviceable diversion for horror fans or action junkies. The film’s unique visuals coupled with the stellar performances from Bale and Buckley work just enough to elevate the disjointed script. Jesssie Buckley lights up the screen as The Bride, though the film’s genre experimentation may leave some more disappointed than others.
The Bride is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
