Tales of Frankenstein: A botched story of Frankenstein descendants

Tales of Frankenstein attempts to expand the legend of the Frankenstein name, but falls short for the most part.

Every horror enthusiast knows Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by heart, and most have wondered what could have happened to the creature (Did he kill himself? Did he find what he was looking for?). Others have wondered what happened to the other members of the Frankenstein family – that’s the main idea behind Tales of Frankenstein.

Written and directed by Donald F. Glut, Tales of Frankenstein is based on four short stories written by Glut and published in the book of the same name as the movie. What they all have in common is the Frankenstein lineage and their sometimes obsessive search for creating another living creature through some extreme methods.

First is “My Creation, My Beloved”, in which a descendant of Victor Frankenstein attempts to create the perfect man and woman. Then comes “Crawler from the Grave”, where we meet another Frankenstein descendant who manages to return from the grave in a weird and unexpected way.

Next is “Madhouse of Death”, where a private detective ends up in an old, dark house where a scientist is working on a very strange experiment. Lastly, “Dr. Karnstein’s Creation”, where yet another mad doctor creates a monster that is actually a mix of Frankenstein’s creature and another classic monster.

While the overall intention is good (that is, creating a “what if” experience with descendants of Victor Frankenstein), the movie is unable to hold itself due to its many production mistakes and, in some stories, the (sadly) never-ending problem of the male gaze and the mocking of other cultures. However, there are some things that deserve a (positive) shout-out.

Tales of Frankenstein (2018) – Courtesy of Pecosborn Productions

Out of the four stories, the first and the last standout as they are more connected with the Frankenstein theme than the rest. “My Creation, My Beloved” has a plot-twist at the end that, if given more time, could make an interesting full-length feature. “Dr. Karnstein’s Creation” is by far the best out of the four (the acting is also better), and the blend of the creature with (uhm, spoiler?) a vampire is actually terrifying. If we could somehow have these two stories as separate movies they would be a good addition to the Frankenstein mythology.

Very much like the original creature, Tales of Frankenstein ends up being a combination of different parts of a fictional universe that don’t work well as a whole, but as separate parts could hold themselves without a problem (some better than others, but they all have potential).

Tales of Frankenstein is now available on VOD and DVD.

Have you seen Tales of Frankenstein yet? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments.