Few people remember that the titular Bride only appears in the last few minutes of James Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein. And even then, she doesn’t actually utter a word, just a deafening screech upon seeing the monster that is her groom-to-be. Crestfallen at being rejected by the only other being like him, Frankenstein’s monster declares, "We belong dead," before destroying himself and his Bride. But despite such short screentime (which barely clocks in at 5 minutes), Elsa Lancaster’s Bride, with her electric-shock hair and wide-eyed stare, casts a long shadow in pop culture. She’s been the subject of many reimaginings and reboots (including one 1985 flop starring Sting and Jennifer Beals), but none are as radical — or radically disappointing — as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!
The Bride! is a strange metatextual ghost story, a science-fiction horror sequel, and a 1920s mob thriller all in one. It’s a hodgepodge of wild ideas and huge swings, and you kind of have to admire it for that. But it’s also a huge tonal and stylistic mess.
