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Guillermo del Toro didn’t just adapt Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ for the screen, but gave the classic some fresh twists, which work in the film’s favor. Sure, maybe some fans of the original may not have liked the changes. However, some plot changes add more depth the dark gothic tale. Here are 5 things the film does better than the book:

1. Victor Frankenstein’s character is better sketched out: The fact that del Toro’s Frankenstein is older and more ambitious than Shelley’s protagonist, makes a lot of his actions more decisive. For instance, Victor obsessively works on bringing his creature to life, so when months of hard work bear fruit, he doesn’t recoil from his creation like his book counterpart.

This change makes a massive difference to the story and also makes a lot more sense. After all, Victor had been stitching up the man together, part by part, chopping up corpses, so he is well aware of what the creature is going to look like. And since film Victor is more experienced, his creature isn’t as deformed or grotesque. Although, Frankentein’s creature remains larger than the average man, so he inspires instant fear on those who spot him for the first time.

2. The changed father-son relationship adds more depth to the film: In Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor’s father, Alphonse Frankenstein, is gentle, supportive, and deeply affectionate toward his son. But Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation radically reshapes this dynamic by portraying Victor’s father as emotionally distant, harsh, and almost antagonistic. This shift adds a compelling layer to Victor’s psychology: instead of a loving upbringing, he grows up under the weight of neglect and impossible expectations, classic “daddy issues” that help explain his obsessive behavior later in life.

When Victor’s mother dies during childbirth and his father fails to save her, Victor internalizes that failure as proof of his father’s inadequacy. From that moment, he becomes fixated on mastering life and death, driven by resentment, guilt, and a desperate need to surpass the father who disappointed him. This reworked father–son conflict adds emotional logic to Victor’s later cruelty toward his creation. The monster becomes the recipient of the same coldness, rejection, and perfectionism Victor experienced in childhood. The psychological cycle of trauma becomes clear in Del Toro’s version in a way the novel never explicitly explores.

3. Del Toro Fixes Victor Frankenstein’s Sudden Horror: One of the most compelling improvements in Del Toro’s adaptation is the way it handles the moment the creature comes to life. In Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor spends months obsessively constructing his creation, piece by piece, only to collapse in horror the instant the being opens its eyes. It has always been difficult to reconcile: if Victor meticulously assembled every limb and feature, how is he suddenly shocked by the creature’s appearance? His immediate panic and abandonment feel abrupt, leaving the monster deserted and confused without ever being given a chance.

Del Toro’s film chooses a far more believable path. When the creature awakens, Victor is ecstatic with triumph rather than terror. Instead of running away, he tries to teach and guide his creation, attempting to shape him into something functional and human. The pair even coexist under the same roof for several weeks, forming the beginnings of a relationship rather than severing it at birth. It adds emotional depth that the novel bypasses, making the eventual breakdown between creator and creation far more tragic and earned.

4. Frankenstein’s Creature is more humane: Another striking improvement in Del Toro’s adaptation is how the creature’s humanity is portrayed. In the film, he is not a vengeful killer but a frightened, confused being fighting only for survival. Unlike Shelley’s Frankenstein, where the creature murders Victor’s young brother William in cold revenge, the adaptation removes the senseless brutality that always felt jarringly out of character. In the book, the creature has just discovered language, literature, and empathy, demonstrating real emotional intelligence; yet suddenly he strangles a child simply to punish Victor. The shift from gentle observer to calculated murderer never aligns convincingly with the compassionate soul he has become.

5. The Creature Gets Deserved Closure:

One of the most powerful departures Del Toro’s Frankenstein makes from Mary Shelley’s novel is the way it chooses to end the story. In the book, Victor collapses from illness aboard the ship before the creature ever arrives, leaving no opportunity for reconciliation. In the film, the creature reaches Victor while he is still alive. Instead of silence and regret, we get conversation.

The creature recounts his painful journey, how he survived alone, learned to read and decipher the complexities of human nature, and struggled to find even the faintest place in the world. Hearing the being he once rejected speak with intelligence and vulnerability forces Victor to finally confront the consequences of his cruelty. In a moment of raw remorse, he apologizes and acknowledges the creature as his son, something Shelley’s Victor never does.

Where the novel ends with unresolved anguish, and Despair, the Frankenstein film ends with earned catharsis. It gives both creator and creation a goodbye filled with humanity, something the monster was always denied. And in doing so, Del Toro delivers an ending that feels not only more satisfying, but more emotionally honest.

Watch ‘Frankenstein’ on Netflix.

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