There are many films that probably just shouldn't exist, for a number of reasons. Under the circumstances of 2015's Victor Frankenstein, the reason is that it's utterly terrible in almost every way.
That said, its most evident error is in the hands of Paul McGuigan writer Max Landis, a screenwriter that I typically give the benefit of the doubt. From the start, Victor Frankenstein is a film that is displayed in a way that has you easily visualising the script. The intention of the writer is so clear, it just transitions from paper to cinema in a completely broken manner.
Being able to visualise a writer's intention and script isn't always a negative thing, however, but in the case of Victor Frankenstein, with the poor performances from the cast, it feels silly. It's hard to truly follow the narrative and dialogue when it simply feels so idiotic. It is a film that should remain only as a book.
From the start, the film sets itself up with our protagonist: a member of a circus that's often manipulated for his weakness. He does no show, he is the show. Nothing more than a tool meant to be exploited for the laughter of others. It doesn't make all that much sense on screen, though. Coincidentally, there's an accident and our protagonist is capable of performing a seemingly impossible medical procedure, shocking everyone, and well, blatantly displaying his expertise in the medical field.
The entire sequence is tough to watch. It's pushed so quickly that it serves as a weak foundation for the inevitable narrative to come. For that purpose, the entire first few minutes of the film show nothing of interest. It's a quick excuse served only to push the film forwards into its run-time, with a conveniently placed doctor viewing the entire thing, our lame protagonist is given immediate friendship and a job.
The rest of the film struggles to find its feet, as its characters pursue strange interests that essentially hold no weight, serving only as weak, unneeded character development to display that they do in fact hold emotions, despite the fact that they are working alongside dead animals that they are reanimating with electricity. Conveniently, a wealthy friend requests that the two create a humanoid, and you can tell what happens from there on.
The setting within the film isn't all that bad, though. There's some interesting set design that's unfortunately hard to appreciate among the poor dialogue, performances, and events that go on. Although, for a Frankenstein film, the setting is one of the easiest things to get right. But if you really want to watch a Frankenstein film, stick with the older ones.
