James Whale directs Boris Karloff, Colin Clive and Mae Clarke in this classic Universal horror where a scientist creates a man from human corpses.

The indelible images of gothic horror. Whale’s classic would probably work better as a silent movie. Mute some of those creaky performances. Reduce the incongruously cheery sops to timid 1930s exhibitioners that have clearly been bolted on at the last minute. It is still very powerful though. The creation scene. The death of little Maria. The burning windmill. In my mind the the very best of the entire Universal cycle. And Karloff’s make up design and physicality is still pitch perfect.

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Perfect Double Bill: Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)