How Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Ending Is Different From Book

Guillermo del Toro‘s Frankenstein made its Netflix debut recently after its successful festival run, where it attained great critical acclaim. Imbued with the director’s signature style, the Mary Shelley novel came to life with Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac’s standout performances. The filmmaker also decided to make one key change at the end of the film, which somewhat changes the narrative from the book.

Here’s what was different in Frankenstein (2025).

Does Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein have different ending from Mary Shelley’s book?

Yes, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has a different ending from Mary Shelley’s acclaimed book.

There have been many adaptations and many interpretations of the classic story over the years. It is a part of popular culture and classic literature that will continue having adaptations, big and small.

For Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, there is a remarkable similarity to the original material, including the gothic tone and the time period. In the film, the major differences lie in some characters and character arcs. For instance, Elizabeth’s role is altered in the film, and the creature is much gentler in the movie than he was in the book. Perhaps, more intelligent, too. In the book, Elizabeth is Victor’s wife, whereas in the movie, she is shown as his brother’s love interest who sympathizes with the creature.

The ending differed significantly. In the novel, Victor chases the monster to the North after the monster mistakenly kills Elizabeth. Victor meets Walton, the captain of a North Pole-bound ship there and tells him the story of his creation. But soon after, Victor dies. At the end of the novel, Walton finds the monster weeping over Victor’s dead body, before leaving to commit suicide.

In the film, however, Victor ends up killing Elizabeth while trying to attack the creature. He is shown alive when the creature reaches the ship. In the final act, Victor and the monster reconcile, with Victor calling him son and asking for forgiveness. The film concludes with the monster forgiving Victor for doing what he did to him. The creature helps free the ship from the ice and watches a sunrise as the film concludes.

So, the movie ends on a positive note compared to the bleak ending of the novel.

Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.