Released in February 2024 and directed by Zelda Williams, “Lisa Frankenstein” falls into the unofficial but growing genre of “weird girl” media. In this sense, the film takes cues from “Jennifer’s Body” (2009), “Heathers” (1988) and “Repo! The Genetic Opera” (2008), combining the unique, kitschy aesthetic of the 80s with the melodrama of slasher horror and chick flicks.  

Much like its predecessors, “Lisa Frankenstein” has built and maintained a cult following but struggled to resonate with mainstream audiences. Dana Barbuto of Boston Movie News said of the movie, “Many women’s magazines offer tips on snagging the man of your dreams. I would think reanimating a lovelorn Victorian-era corpse is not one of them. Shows you what I know.” Similar complaints can be found in many other reviews. 

Ironically, however, Barbuto has pinpointed the exact facet that makes “Lisa Frankenstein” such a standout: its audacity.  

The movie stars Kathryn Newton as Lisa Swallows—an awkward outcast at her high school. She only feels comfortable talking to a particular gravestone at a local graveyard. One day, she laments how she would like to join him. The dead man, now a zombie, takes her words quite literally. 

So many popular movies focus on transformation. The weird girl becomes the heteronormative popular girl, the jock becomes somewhat caring, and the mean girl is either run over by a bus or otherwise cut from the narrative. By the end, none of the archetypes are recognizable as themselves.  

But Lisa Swallows’s transformation is the exact opposite. With the help of her new partner, she becomes more confident in expressing herself. She learns to process the grief of her mother’s earlier murder on her terms. And all the while, she is drop-dead gorgeous. 

“Lisa Frankenstein” can be streamed on Amazon Video, Apple TV and Peacock, and is a perfect watch for the upcoming Halloween season.