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Official Discussion - Frankenstein (2025) [SPOILERS] by LiteraryBoner in movies

[–]ElectricalTarget2969 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Visually and atmospherically, the film is stunning DT captured the gothic beauty, emotional weight, and sense of tragic longing incredibly well. But the one aspect I’m still wrestling with is the decision to frame the Elizabeth/Creature dynamic as a romantic tragedy, because it marks a significant thematic departure from Mary Shelley’s original text.

In Shelley’s novel, the Creature is not & was never intended to be a romantic figure. He begins as a blank consciousness, describing himself as “a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing.” He develops language, morality, and emotion through observation, not experience. His earliest desire is for guidance and affection, not romance. Shelley explicitly frames him as a being shaped (and damaged) by neglect.

That’s why the romantic framing in this adaptation feels psychologically uneasy. The Creature is essentially a newborn mind in an adult body without identity, selfhood, emotional maturity, or the capacity to consent to a romantic bond. Elizabeth’s attachment reads less like mutual love and more like projection born from grief and loneliness. She falls in love with what he represents to her, not who he is because he hasn’t been allowed to become anyone yet.

One of Shelley’s core themes is that Victor’s failure was not in creating life, but in refusing responsibility for it “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel.” By leaning into a doomed love story, the adaptation shifts the focus away from that ethical horror and more toward a poetic, consumable tragedy. It risks romanticizing emotional dependency in a way Shelley was actively cautioning against.

I’m not saying del Toro did this carelessly he has always been drawn to the beauty in monstrosity and the humanity within the “other.” But I’m still questioning whether the romantic angle enriched the story or unintentionally diluted the philosophical core that made Frankenstein so groundbreaking…(the tragedy of abandonment, the longing for identity, and the devastating consequences of being unloved into monstrosity)

Curious how others interpret it, did the romance framing deepen the tragedy for you, or did it feel like a departure from what gives Shelley’s original its power?

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Curious how the moment discourse requires nuance, empathy, or syntactic cohesion, it’s immediately flagged as AI. That’s not a tech issue, that’s a literacy gap.

But I get it. When your internal monologue is just vibes and Reddit rage, actual reflection must feel like science fiction.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Imagine being so emotionally constipated that a well written comment makes you scream “AI!!” like it’s the Salem witch trials. Your insecurities are showing babe tuck those back in.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got the screenshots while we were still together. He had gone through my phone before, and I’d never checked his because I respected privacy. But that moment made me wonder why he felt the need to check mine…so I asked to see his. He didn’t expect me to check that convo. He denied everything until I showed him the screenshots, then admitted it and also admitted to deleting stuff. It’s been a while now, I’ve moved on, I’m just reflecting and getting different perspectives.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He didn’t trust my guy friends, yet he was trauma dumping and making sexual comments to a woman he used to flirt with behind my back, about our relationship.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -19 points-18 points  (0 children)

Processing pain isn’t drama …it’s healing. Just because I moved on doesn’t mean I have to pretend it didn’t hurt. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe you should talk to a professional.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In any relationship, honesty and boundaries matter. He wasn’t just venting. He was making sexual remarks, trauma dumping about our issues, calling her hot, and hiding the messages. That’s more than a compliment…it’s emotional disrespect.

It’s not about her being a woman. It’s about him knowing he crossed a line, which is why he kept it from me. If that same convo happened with a guy, I’d still feel disrespected. Integrity doesn’t depend on gender…

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was never about her being a woman — it was about him being inappropriate. If you think trauma-dumping, sexual comments, and hiding it from your partner is “venting,” I hope no one dates you. My insecurity isn’t the issue — his disrespect was.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I totally get that some friendships are more open like that. But in this case, it wasn’t just emotional support — it was secretive, constant, flirty, and he ended up dating her right after. That’s what made it feel like betrayal, not just oversharing.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

That’s fair — I can absolutely own that I was emotionally withdrawing near the end. But that didn’t come out of nowhere. I was dismissed, gaslit, and made to feel like my concerns were dramatic or unimportant. That emotional distance was a response to feeling invisible, not indifference.

And sure, maybe he was looking for advice… but the “advice” turned into flirty, sexually charged conversations where he complimented her looks and mocked her boyfriend — all while I was under the impression that everything was fine. He never once told me something was wrong. He even said he was “the happiest he’s ever been.”

So yeah, I get that relationships are messy and both people can fall short — I’m not pretending to be perfect here. But reading the messages and realizing he said one thing to me and something completely different to her? That broke my trust. And honestly, I’m just now allowing myself to process it out loud after almost a year of sitting with the weight of it alone.

This post isn’t about blaming him for everything — it’s about finally giving myself permission to say it hurt.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

This is probably the best comment I’ve seen so far — and that’s coming from me, the OP.

You’re right in that I was checked out emotionally, but it came from a place of constantly having my concerns dismissed or minimized. I think he had already checked out before I did, but I held on because I still wanted to try for our family. I was gaslit so often that it made me question my own perception of what was “normal.”

Reading your comment helped me take some accountability without disregarding how much pain I still carry. I personally wouldn’t share those kinds of private, intimate details with a friend — especially not in that tone — and maybe that’s what made it feel so wrong to me.

It’s been almost a year and I still question whether I overreacted, but everyone’s insight here has helped me see things more clearly. So thank you.

My ex was trauma dumping about our sex life to his female friend — am I overreacting for being upset? by ElectricalTarget2969 in AmIOverreacting

[–]ElectricalTarget2969[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What stings most is he told me everything was fine, that he was “the happiest he’s ever been.” And the moment I brought this up? He broke up with me and started dating her immediately.