List of films featuring Frankenstein's monster
As of June 2025, a body of 247 known films feature some version or interpretation of the character Frankenstein's monster, first created by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
Frankenstein's Monster is a retelling of the cultural Golem myth. This list does not include creatures more directly inspired by The Golem, but focuses on those that Shelley's novel directly inspired. A key distinction is that The Golem is made from clay by mystics, but Frankenstein's monster is made from flesh by a scientist. Not all undead creatures and characters are versions of Frankenstein, as they fall into other categories of Reanimation such as a Zombie.
Frankenstein's monster has appeared in many forms and inspired many similar characters. it has been gender-swapped, made into an animal, and given different personalities—but certain thematic elements remain, such as abandonment, the desire to be loved, and a dynamic love or hate relationship between creator and creation.
The 1818 novel describes the creature's appearance as follows:
"His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set."
The 1931 film Frankenstein by Universal Pictures and its 1935 sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, have had an immense influence on the appearance and wider cultural understanding of the character. This rendition of the creation is the most pervasive and appears in pop culture and advertising very frequently. While the imagery of Frankenstein's monster in relation to the Universal appearance is inspired by Frankenstein, it is also frequent that characters of this appearance lack any relation to the novel and depart heavily from the themes and personality of the original work. Nevertheless, characters made in the likeness of the Universal Monster are still Frankenstein's Monster, even if the only likeness is to a pastiche version of the character. On the other hand, some characters such as Mewtwo and Stitch exhibit similarities in personality, plot, and shared themes despite their lack of physical similarity.
List of films (chronological)
See also
References
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