Mary Shelley's Frankenstein(1994)
1994 · Kenneth Branagh · 123 min
Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster, which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It's not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions.
Drama · Horror · Science Fiction · Romance
6.41.4k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How Mary Shelley's Frankenstein scares
There's a heavy, tragic weight to this one that comes more from grief and obsession than from jolts or dread. It moves slowly through gothic mansions and operating theaters, building emotional intensity rather than scares, then breaks into bursts of body horror and violence tied to birth, death, and creation. The fear here is less about being chased and more about watching good intentions curdle into disaster and loss. It's a good pick if you want a moody, melancholy gothic tragedy with horror elements rather than a movie built to frighten you outright.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein rates psychological 3/5, visceral 3/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 3 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 20 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 55 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A moody, emotional build with a jolting mid-point surge, a brief dip to breathe, then a steady climb into a punishing, tragic final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5.
How scary is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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