Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In 1989, a misunderstood teenager has a high school crush — who just happens to be a handsome corpse! After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness…and a few missing body parts along the way.
Lisa Frankenstein is a gleefully campy 80s-set horror-comedy that blends teen romance with Frankenstein mythology in a distinctly stylized way — its neon-drenched aesthetic and playful dark tone give it genuine novelty as a female-directed, female-driven riff on classic monster movies. The plot is fun but thin, leaning on genre conventions once the premise is established. Acting is serviceable with Kathryn Newton doing solid work but supporting characters feeling underdeveloped. Cinematography captures the 80s pastiche with some flair but doesn't transcend its references. The ending deflates somewhat, going for a crowd-pleasing resolution that undercuts the film's weirder, darker impulses.