31 Days of Horror Reviews 2018: Son of Frankenstein

Son of Frankenstein would not only be the last time Boris Karloff would portray the Monster, but would be the only time that he would perform alongside Bela Lugosi.

REVIEW

 Son of Frankenstein feels like it’s on the same level as The Bride of Frankenstein, it has a nice blend of thrills and dark humor along with some impressive set designs and lighting, but this one seems suffer from a slow Second Act, possibly because this is the longest Frankenstein film so far just sitting at 1hr 40mins. It’s by no means a bad sequel by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn’t feel like a strong follow up to The Bride of Frankenstein.

Basil Rathbone plays Wolf von Frankenstein, Henry’s son, who inherits the castle. He plays the part really well with an air of class and passion. Bela Lugosi plays Ygor who was hanged for assisting Dr. Frankenstein yet still lives despite having a broken neck. The sheer look of his disfigured neck is spine chilling. Lugosi practically steals the show with his performance and is probably the reason why he constantly appears as Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant in every interpretation.

Lionel Atwill plays Inspector Krogh who is sort of like the mediator in the film. He doesn’t hate Frankenstein, but neither does he trust him. He reveals that he has a wooden arm that was “ripped from the roots” by the monster when he was a child. The sheer pacing and accompanying music makes this a very frightening tale to hear. Finally, Boris Karloff returns for the final time to play the Monster this time back to a growling giant yet still gives a magnificent performance.

A dream come true

Unlike The Bride of Frankenstein, it’s a pretty average sequel and I don’t have much to talk about. It ends on a strong note and a really great send off for Karloff.