What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedFrankenstein
Mary Shelley · Book · 1818
If you loved Frankenstein, start with Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro, 2025) — a film from the same story. Below: 1 film, 3 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Frankenstein across media.
What hooked you in Frankenstein was the way the pursuit of forbidden knowledge inevitably leads to profound, life-altering personal consequences.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro · Film · 2025
Adaptation
The Bride!
Maggie Gyllenhaal · Film · 2026
Films on the same thread
Mary Shelley
Film · 2017
Explores: Creativity, Intellectual rebellion, Tragic romance.
This biographical drama explores the real-life intellectual rebellion and creative fire behind Frankenstein, showing how Mary Shelley channeled her own turbulent experiences into a timeless tale of creation.
Series on the same thread
Penny Dreadful
John Logan · Series · 2014
Explores: Monsters, Moral Ambiguity, Loss of Innocence.
Just as in Frankenstein, this series delves into the moral ambiguity of creating life, bringing Victor's iconic monster and his creators into a dark, atmospheric Victorian London setting.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Explores: Government Experiments, Telekinesis, Monsters.
Much like Victor Frankenstein, the scientists in this town unleash terrifying forces through dangerous experiments, proving that the consequences of playing god are always far greater than anticipated.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Series · 2003
Explores: alchemy, brotherhood, redemption.
This story mirrors the central tragedy of Frankenstein by following alchemists whose desperate desire to master natural laws results in a devastating price for their forbidden scientific ambition.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
If the societal fallout and hubris found in Frankenstein fascinate you, these historical accounts of revolutionary collapse provide a real-world perspective on the destructive cycles of human ambition.
The Magnus Archives
Podcast
Explores: Esoteric Research, The Weird, Paranormal Investigation.
This anthology captures the same sense of existential dread and obsessive research found in Frankenstein, where the pursuit of esoteric knowledge leads characters toward inevitable and chilling fates.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Frankenstein based on an original novel?
Yes, Frankenstein is based on the 1818 Gothic novel written by Mary Shelley. The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who performs an unorthodox experiment to create a sapient creature by assembling different body parts. Shelley began writing the book when she was 18 years old.
What order should I watch the upcoming movies like Frankenstein and The Bride?
The 2025 movie Frankenstein and the 2026 movie The Bride are both adaptations inspired by the source material of the original novel. You can watch either film independently as they provide different cinematic interpretations of the classic story written by Mary Shelley.
How long has the story of Frankenstein been around?
The story of Frankenstein has been around since 1818, when the first edition of the novel was published. Mary Shelley wrote the Gothic tale while staying in Bath, and it remains a foundational work of literature that continues to inspire new film adaptations like those scheduled for 2025 and 2026.
Should I read the original Frankenstein before watching the 2025 movie?
Reading the original 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley provides a deeper understanding of the creator, Victor Frankenstein, and his scientific experiment. While the 2025 movie is a new adaptation, the book offers the complete context of the sapient creature's origin and the author's original Gothic vision.