‘The Bride!’ First Reactions Are Hyped: “What Joker: Folie a Deux Wished It Was”
The Frankenstein mythos continues to meet the moment in ways we couldn’t even possibly imagine. Mary Shelley’s iconic story has been retold on the screen over and over again, and up next is The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s dark and punk-rock take on The Bride of Frankenstein.
Starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, there has been hype surrounding The Bride! ever since its first teaser trailer screened at CinemaCon… and based on early reactions, it sounds like that hype was more than justified. Early critic reactions to the film went live on Thursday, and they’re pretty glowing about Gyllenhaal’s vision and the ensemble cast.
Our Editor in Chief, Rachel Leishman, wrote: “THE BRIDE is a love letter to storytelling, science fiction, movies, and so much more. A breathtaking look at Frankenstein and his love and a truly brilliant performance from both Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. Maggie Gyllenhaal made something so special.”
“Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley built #TheBrideMovie in a lab to give me the movie of my dreams,” This Ends at Prom co-host BJ Colangelo writes. “A shrieking, brazen journey of an ungovernable woman and a man who wants her to burn it all down if it means feeling her warmth. I loved every second of it. Most Frankenstein movies are about the hubris of man, but #TheBrideMovie takes it a step further by asking, “What do we do with the fuckmess they’ve left behind?” This is one of the most daring and original films of 2026 and one of the best monster reimaginings of all time.”
“Maggie Gyllenhaal’s #TheBride is wild, audacious, & dgaf if you like it,” The Film Maven‘s Kristen Lopez writes. “Buckley & Bale thrill in a movie that feels like what JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX desperately wished it was. Gyllenhaal’s script has a lot of threads it doesn’t weave in perfectly. unlike anything out there.”
What Is The Bride! About?
According to the official synopsis for the film courtesy of Warner Bros., in The Bride!, “a lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!”
The cast of The Bride! also includes Peter Sarsgaard as Det. Jake Wiles, Jake Gyllenhaal as Ronnie Reed, Penélope Cruz as Myrna Mallow, and Julianne Hough in a currently-unknown role.
As Nerdist put it: “Having watched The Bride, we can share that it’s a movie clearly made by someone who loves movies. The camera adores Jessie Buckley, who shines, and her character sweeps you off your feet into a lush, gothic romance that has one foot in reality and one in the world of the arcane. Christian Bale’s “Frank” does Frankenstein’s Monster full justice and will pull on all your heartstrings. This movie’s aesthetics are bold, the dance sequences shine, and it really captivates you. It’s what going to the theater is all about.”
The Bride! will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, March 6th.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
