The Bride of Frankenstein
By Kit Macdonald
Widely considered one of the best sequels ever made, 1935's Bride of Frankenstein picks up exactly where 1931's Frankenstein left off, expanding Mary Shelley’s classic gothic tale with a perfectly pitched mix of horror, pathos and black comedy. Boris Karloff reprises his role as the Monster and again brings a well of emotion and tragedy to his portrayal of a character trying to find acceptance in a world that fears him.
Elsa Lanchester's dual turn as both Mary Shelley in the prologue and the titular Bride is every bit as iconic as Karloff's. The Bride has been created as a mate for the Monster by Dr Frankenstein (Colin Clive), and her fear of him ratchets up the film's emotional intensity amid the glorious texture of Whale's nuanced direction, John J Mescall's stunning cinematography and Franz Waxman's haunting score.