‘The Bride!’ is a wild ride

Hot on the heels of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ (2025), here comes ‘The Bride!” (2026). Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring newly minted Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley alongside Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard, the reimagining of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic sensation tells the story of the monster’s supposed betrothed.

Maggie says the film draws inspiration from ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’. In the 1935 film, a duo of mad scientists fashion a wife for Frankenstein’s monster, who screams in horror at her mate before her story ends.

Portrayed by Buckley, who takes on the dual role of Ida and author Shelley, The Bride is both a young woman seemingly enjoying Chicago’s nightlife in 1936 and the dead author who possesses Ida from some sort of limbo.

Though the film’s internal logic is somewhat screwy, it suffices to summarise that Ida is murdered by a crime boss’ henchman soon before Frankenstein’s monster (Bale) is begging scientist Cornelia Euphronius (Bening) to make him a mate. Euphronius agrees and reanimates Ida with a smattering of Shelley. However, Ida can’t remember her own name, let alone anything from before her supposed accident.

On the blank canvas of Ida’s memory, Frankenstein’s monster, (Frank), and Euphronius paint a lie. The Bride is Frank’s wife who loves him very much. Driven by the spirit of Shelley and the thrill of life, The Bride paints the town red, attracts some bad guys who Frank murders and then they’re on the run.

The film is a little confusing but it’s also wild ride that weaves together threads and aesthetics from characters and films such as ‘Bonnie & Clyde’, ‘Natural Born Killers’, ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, ‘Young Frankenstein’ and more.

The story that resonates is that of the silenced woman who finds her voice despite being raised from the dead to satisfy the needs and end the loneliness of a man.

Viewers may also see parallels between a powerful crime boss who abuses and murders women, and the slew of sexual abusers who have been named, shamed and detained since the advent of #MeToo movement. There is a very obvious reference to this in the film.

Maggie sets ‘The Bride’ in the past with themes of popular fiction but speaks to present day struggles such as the male loneliness epidemic and the idea that women are to blame and meant to fix it, the increasing lack of agency women have over their bodies and the silencing of victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

‘The Bride!’ is worth a watch for Buckley’s performance alone but is also elevated by its highly watchable star cast.

The best that I can advise is to simply go with it.

‘The Bride!’ (2026) is now showing at Ster-Kinekor at Windhoek’s The Grove Mall.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.