The Bride of Frankenstein
Universal Pictures | Release Date: May 6, 1935 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
95
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago ReaderDon Druker
Whale added an element of playful sexuality to this version, casting the proceedings in a bizarre visual framework that makes this film a good deal more surreal than the original. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's satirical, exciting, funny, and an influential masterpiece of art direction. Read full review
80
The New York TimesFrank S. Nugent
Another astonishing chapter in the career of the Monster. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
Bride is often cited as Whale's masterpiece, and one of the reasons surely is his intentional lacing of humor throughout that never completely undercuts the horror or pathos. Read full review
100
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
Whale's most perfectly realised movie, a delight from start to finish. Read full review
100
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
One of the seminal achievements of Hollywood cinema, this brilliant sequel to the original Frankenstein is one of the greatest films of its genre and remains a lasting tribute to the unique genius of director Whale. Read full review
100
EmpireSimon Braund
Whale's erudite genius brings it all together. He sculpts every nuance of self-parody, social satire, horror, humour, wit and whimsy into a dazzling whole, keeping every one of his fantastical plates spinning until the tragic, inevitable finale. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklySteve Simels
The gloriously baroque Bride of Frankenstein is in every way a richer, more imaginative experience than its straight-arrow predecessor. Read full review
90
The GuardianPhelim O'Neill
Bride is a wild ride, even today. It flits between the classical and the gutter, the camp and the serious in a manner that's hard to pin down. Read full review
100
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Film scholars and queer-theory types will long argue over the intricacies of Whale's Bride as a study of artistic creation and an acidic fable of homoerotic love, but for fans it's simply the most beautiful horror film ever made. Read full review
80
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Karloff manages to invest the character with some subtleties of emotion that are surprisingly real and touching. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesSusan King
As wonderful as the original was, this is one of the few times in cinema history when the sequel is even better. [21 Oct 1999, p.F54]
90
The New YorkerPauline Kael
A macabre comedy classic.
100
The Observer (UK)Philip French
Whale's greatest work and the best ever gothic horror movie. [10 Oct 2010, p.46]
100
Orlando SentinelCrosby Day
Probably the greatest, wittiest and most eccentric of all classic horror films. [13 Feb 2000, p.F1]
100
TimeRichard Schickel
It is a perfect little masterpiece of high camp, not untouched by pity, terror and the desire to satirize boy-girl romances. Read full review
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