The Bride!, featuring Christian Bale and Jake Gyllenhaal, has garnered overwhelmingly positive first reactions.
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, this genre-blending reimagining of Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein had its world premiere on February 26, prompting some very strong reactions. From the London premiere, impressions are rather consistent, with acclaim centering around three recurring themes: performance, ambition and risk-taking, and aesthetic and imagery.
The core cast, in addition to Bale and the director’s brother, includes Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. In terms of performance, Bale and Buckley — starring as Frankenstein’s monster and the woman raised from the dead to be his companion — are praised for their volatile, “ferocious outlaw romance,” as described by The Credits.
Reactions note the “big swing” filmmaking, regarding The Bride! as ambitious, unusual, and very original for a story that many viewers already know. Erik Davis with Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes stated outright: “Maggie Gyllenhaal’s #TheBrideMovie swings BIG […] They [Buckley and Bale] bring a raw intensity and unpredictability that makes this inventive take on the Bride/Frankenstein story work.”
Meanwhile, Kristen Lopez (EIC of The Film Maven) said: “#TheBride is wild, audacious, &dgaf if you like it.” There is also a strong aesthetic and spectacle inclination across reactions, with Nerdist calling it “a lush, gothic romance that has one foot in reality and one in the world of the arcane,” while Rachel Leishman (EIC of The Mary Sue) says: “[…] a love letter to storytelling, science fiction, movies, and so much more.”
Finally, film critic Tessa Smith also notes that the “cinematography, costumes, hair & makeup all deserve praise, as do Jessie Buckley & Christian Bale’s performances. It’s packed with Bonnie & Clyde vibes & powerful messages.” The story sees a lonely Frankenstein traveling to Chicago in the 1930s to ask Dr. Euphronious (Bening) to create a companion for him. They revive/reconstruct a murdered young woman, therefore creating “The Bride.”
Jessie Buckley screaming as the Bride
Two-time Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal is widely known for her roles in Secretary and The Dark Knight. She is following up her directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, which earned multiple Academy Award nominations and features Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley (both nominated for acting Oscars), and Dakota Johnson.
Buckley (also nominated for Best Lead Actress in 2026 for Hamnet) is singled out as the film’s emotional core. While Frankenstein has been adapted countless times on screen, The Bride! is seemingly an ambitious, new telling. Rather than focusing on the scientist or the monster (like in Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 version with Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi), this film centers on the identity and character of the Bride.
These first reactions could dramatically affect the film’s theatrical prospects. Early positive buzz often shapes the initial audience expectations before official critics’ scores appear. However, when the embargo for full reviews lifts, and when they actually see it themselves, viewers will get a more complete scope of the movie.
The Bride! will be released in theaters on March 6, 2026.
Release Date
March 6, 2026
Runtime
126 Minutes
Director
Maggie Gyllenhaal