On this episode, Matthew and Stacey go to the movies (separately this time) to watch Guillermo Del Toro's 2025 horror film, Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac as Victor and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein's creature. Matthew opens this conversation with a spooky excerpt from Mary Shelley's original novel, and then we dive in. Where has the body horror of the creature gone in the newest adaptation of this horror classic? How do we think about race and the production of whiteness in the creature? What's up with the "Netflixification" of this film?
(Dear listener, especially: what do you make of (spoiler alert) Victor's accident outside of the factory and his eventual leg prosthesis? Tell us in the comments or on Instagram. We'd love to know what you think!)
Film: Frankenstein (Guillermo Del Toro, 2025)
Intro Music: “The Army of You” (Library of Congress Free Music Archive)
Outro Music: “Late Night Indigo” (written and performed by Stacey Baran)
Fear of the Dark is a film podcast about race and horror, hosted by Matthew Vernon and Stacey Baran. Episode edited by Matthew Vernon. Mixdown and mastering by Stacey Baran.
Follow us on Instagram @fearofthedarkpod!
