Director: Zelda Williams
Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano and Carla Gugino
Country: United States
Running Time: 101 min
Year: 2024
Back in March, when I heard that a new horror-comedy from writer Diablo Cody and first-time director Zelda Williams was coming out, I raced to book my tickets and see it on day one. While I had a great time at the cinema, I was disappointed that I was the only person in my screening for the film. I worried that the film would either get a digital only release or perhaps a DVD release at best, which is why I was ecstatic to hear that Mediumrare Entertainment were releasing the film not only on Blu-ray, but also 4K UHD. I requested a screener to revisit one of the year’s most underrated efforts and I’m so glad I did.
Lisa Frankenstein follows the titular Lisa, a teenage outcast with a tragic past who struggles to connect with those around her. After a disastrous party experience, she heads to her favourite place in the world, a local cemetery and wishes that she could be with the man in her favourite tombstone (in other words, six feet deep). However, after the man is brought back to life via the classic horror tradition of lightning and tries to communicate with Lisa, she explains that she wishes she was dead instead of actually being with the man himself. From there, a friendship-turned-romance is formed and Lisa goes on a quest to help get the zombie-like man his missing body parts, including an ear, a hand and a certain reproductive organ.
It’s a delightful film and those familiar with Diablo Cody’s previous writing efforts such as Juno or Jennifer’s Body will have a blast with the fun, wacky antics that go on throughout the film. Like many films nowadays, it’s set in the 80s (albeit, the late 80s) and while the nostalgia-heavy films of this ilk usually bother me due to their misunderstanding of what made that decade so special for most, Lisa Frankenstein does an excellent job at capturing the aesthetic of films from that era, such as the work of Tim Burton (think Beetlejuice or Edward Scissorhands, although that came out in 1990) but delivering compelling characters and a ton of great gags. The film’s more comedy than horror, but when it comes to fun practical effects, in particular the creature design, the film delivers some great, occasionally gross scenes that I had a blast with.
It’s the definition of a cosy watch, something that fans will undoubtedly revisit time and time again over the years, and I’m beyond happy to be in that crowd. For a first time director, Zelda Williams shows her talent with snappy visuals, a distinctive style and a great pace (the film’s 101 minutes and it rarely feels like a moment is wasted in that runtime.) The performances are all excellent too, with Kathryn Newton delivering her best performance yet as Lisa, and Disney Channel star Cole Sprouse (who I was unfamiliar with prior to this) stealing the show with his silent, physical performance. He has no dialogue in the film and has to convey so much with his emotions and body language, and he pulls it off! Finally, a shout-out to Carla Gugino is needed, who plays the uptight step-mother in the film, and she’s so hilariously campy that she’s another scene stealer. Her performance reminded me of something out of a John Waters film, and my only complaint is how she’s not in the film enough.
Lisa Frankenstein is one of 2024’s most charming films and I had even more fun revisiting the film than my initial viewing earlier this year. It’s a shame that it didn’t do well at the box office, but I applaud Mediumrare for committing to a UHD release for the film, because it deserves it. If the film sounds like a good time to you, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of the year’s best and I hope more people check it out.
Film: 
Lisa Frankenstein releases on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD June 3rd courtesy of Mediumrare Entertainment. I viewed the UHD release, which includes the extras on the 4K disc. The HDR colour grade is solid, making the vibrant, colourful feature pop even more than it would on Blu-ray. Audio wise, there’s 2.0 PCM and a 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio tracks to choose from and both sound solid, although I preferred the 5.1 track personally. Given how many great needle-drops are included in the film, the track really helps them out in the mix. English HOH subtitles are included. On an A/V level, the disc is great and I had no issues. There’s no confirmation on whether or not the disc is an upscale or native 4K, but it looked fantastic to me. The following extras are included:
Audio commentary with Zelda Williams
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
An Electric Connection featurette
Resurrecting the 1980’s featurette
A Dark Comedy Duo featurette
The audio commentary with Zelda Williams is a good one. Williams touches on her influences in the film and has a fairly ironic tone throughout, which I found charming and fun to listen to. It’s absolutely worth checking out.
Five deleted scenes are included, which run for three and a half minutes. Keeping with the film’s silly tone, they’re all fun additions but don’t add much to the overall feature. If you’re a fan of the film, these will bring a smile to your face.
A two minute gag reel is included, and contains bloopers, gags and other fun moments from the shoot.
Resurrecting the 1980’s is a four and a half minute featurette that touches on why the team behind the film wanted to set the film in the 80s, the influence that the decade had on the creative team and more. It’s brief, but an alright addition.
An Electric Connection is a five minute featurette that touches on the premise of the film, it feels more like a promotional piece than anything substantial.
A Dark Comedy Duo is another brief four minute featurette highlighting the director-writer duo of William and Cody, and how the pair collaborated during the production of Lisa Frankenstein.
A theatrical trailer is included.
Lisa Frankenstein is a great film with a solid UHD release, although the extras leave a lot to be desired. The audio commentary is great, but the other extras are pretty hit-or-miss. For fans of the film, it’s a must-own for the great A/V.
Disc/Packaging: 
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