Frankenstein: Day of the Beast is a 2011 independent horror film directed by Ricardo Islas, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. The film stars Michelle Shields, Adam Stephenson and Tim Krueger, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 27, 2011.
Plot The film opens with soldiers pursuing Frankenstein's Creature through the countryside. The Creature takes refuge near the home of a blind man and his daughter Agatha, where the man's son Felix has recently returned with his wife, Safi. The Creature attacks the family before continuing its escape.
Some time later, Victor Frankenstein and Elizabeth travel to an isolated island to be married in a small church. Victor has secretly hired a group of armed mercenaries to product them, without explaining the nature of the threat. After the ceremony, the Creature arrives on the island, destroys their means of escape and begins killing members of the group. Victor eventually admits that the attacker is a being he created and abandoned. Through flashbacks, he recounts the creature's creation and violent escape, as well as its subsequent killing of Victor's younger brother William and its threat to confront him on his wedding night.
The survivors barricade themselves inside the church while the Creature continues its attacks. Victor and the nercenaries make several attempts to kill it, at one point believing they have destroyed it in an explosion, but the Creature survives. As the remaining members of the group are killed or separated, Victor realizes that Elizabeth, rather than himself, is the Creature's principal target. Elizabeth attempts to escape through the woods but is eventually caught and killed.
Victor survives and takes Elizabeth's body back to his laboratory, where he uses the same process that created the Creature to revive her. Elizabeth awakens transformed and attacks Victor, repeating the consequences of his original experiment.
Cast
Production and release Filming took place in Illinois in early 2011. Cabin scenes were filmed over several weeks during winter conditions, after which the production moved to an abandoned church in Chicago for the wedding sequence. The film had its world premiere at the Portage Theater in Chicago on November 27, 2011, and was scheduled for a further screening at the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge on december 1.
Reception Several horror publications reviewed the film. Corey Danna of HorrorNews.net gave it 3 out of 5 stars, praising its Hammer-influenced style, cinematography and portrayal of the Monster, while criticizing the opening portion of the film as disconnected from the main story. Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News described the film as a fresh interpretation of the Frankenstein story despite its low budget, praising its focus on a single portion of Shelley's novel while criticizing some of the acting. Richard Sheib of Moria gave the film 2 out of 5 stars. He noted the film's emphasis on the Monster as a violent antagonist and its extended siege structure, but criticized inconsistencies in its period setting.
See also Frankenstein Day
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