Frankenstein Reborn Cut Restores a Shocking Scene

Even great directors take advice, and sometimes they regret it. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has returned in a longer director’s cut, and its biggest addition is a shocking scene that was removed after a tip from James Cameron. Spoiler warning: this article discusses a major plot point.

Reborn Cut vs Theatrical Cut

Detail	Theatrical Cut	The Reborn Cut
Runtime	2:30:10	2:38:43
Extra Time	N/A	About 8.5 minutes
Where to Watch	Netflix	Criterion release only
Key Difference	No father murder	Restores the murder of Victor’s father

Frankenstein :The Scene That Was Cut

In the restored sequence, young Victor Frankenstein kills his father, Leopold (Charles Dance). It fits Mary Shelley’s themes, but Guillermo del Toro says Cameron suggested removing it. In his audio commentary, del Toro says Cameron was right for the theatrical version, even though it remains one of his favourite passages he has ever filmed.

Why Cameron Advised the Cut?

Cameron’s note had two parts. First, audiences might struggle to identify with Victor if he commits such a crime. Second, and more importantly for the story, killing his father would let Victor avenge his mother, which makes his later quest for immortality harder to justify. Del Toro found the logic sound, even though audiences connected with Victor anyway.

What Else Is New?

Most of the new material arrives in the first act, giving the Frankenstein family more room to breathe. There’s more intimacy between Victor, his brother William (Felix Kammerer) and William’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Mia Goth), plus a creepy moment showing Victor’s mother’s face decaying. The father’s death also adds a sense of history repeating itself, since the Creature wants to kill his own maker but eventually breaks that violent cycle. It also deepens Victor’s Oedipal undertones.

What’s in the Criterion Release?

Criterion released the film on October 27 on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It’s the seventh del Toro film in the collection. Both cuts are included, plus:

A new audio commentary by del Toro
An hour-long director’s cut of the making-of documentary The Anatomy Lesson
The Parlour, with conversations featuring del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac
Q&As moderated by Martin Scorsese and Patti Smith
A 17-minute interview with composer Alexandre Desplat and an essay by Christopher Frayling

Can You Watch It on Netflix?

No. The theatrical cut stays on Netflix, where it earned 29.1 million views in its first three days, and it’s unclear whether the Reborn Cut will ever stream there.

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