The concept of a soulmate is certainly very interesting, since the idea of everyone alive having someone designated as their ideal partner, while encouraging and beautiful in theory, is logically implausible and probably just a way to comfort those who have not had luck in terms of finding a long-lasting romance. However, for the sake of argument, the concept is a very promising one and certainly has proven to be the source of a lot of terrific art. Lisa Frankenstein is a film that posits a very intriguing idea: what if your soulmate comes from a different era entirely, and what happens when they suddenly manifest in your life? In her directorial debut, Zelda Williams works closely with writer Diablo Cody to create a hilarious and irreverent black comedy that follows the titular character as she comes to terms with the sudden arrival of the object of her affection: an unnamed 18th-century bachelor whom she had fawned over during her regular visits to an abandoned graveyard, and who has inexplicably been reanimated as a zombie designated to do her bidding, and who inserts himself into her life, wreaking havoc in her already chaotic daily routine. Suddenly, this young woman finds herself scrambling to find ways to get everything in order, which proves to be a ridiculously difficult concept and one that consistently challenges her to think outside of the box, which she was not entirely prepared to do. What follows is a trail of violence and retribution, which Williams and Cody form into this hilarious and macabre dark comedy that immediately establishes itself as one of the most fascinating debuts of the past few years, even if it is the kind of film that is going to be initially misunderstood before eventually finding its home with an audience that can appreciate its quirks and overlook some of its more imperfect elements, which is not a difficult task when the film we are dealing with is as delightful and audacious as this one.

One of the great artistic victories of the contemporary cinematic landscape is that there has been a focus on giving more diverse voices a platform, and whether in terms of background or artistic vision, there has rarely been a better time to be a filmmaker than now, at least in terms of independent cinema, which has become a haven for some truly ambitious creative voices. Williams has been orbiting around the industry since childhood, working in film and television as primarily an actor, but always been followed by the legacy of her iconic father. Lisa Frankenstein allows her the opportunity to craft her voice as an artist, which she does by taking this wickedly funny screenplay by Cody and transforming it into an exceptionally entertaining film. The collision of these two eccentric but compelling voices is what makes this film so endearing, especially since Cody has become something of a patron saint of darkly comical, female-oriented horror films, with Jennifer’s Body only growing in stature as time goes on. Lisa Frankenstein is not as ambitious, and it does play as a relatively minor work in comparison, but if we look at it from a purely objective perspective, we find that there are several very promising elements, particularly in how genres are blended to create something much more layered. Setting the film in 1989 was very smart since it allowed Williams to draw inspiration from many of the teen-based comedies such as Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink (both of which are clear influences), filtering them through the lens of a sardonic horror comedy, as well as allowing a very distinct set of visual and aural details that would not have been nearly as effective had it been a contemporary setting – sometimes, the period in which a film is set makes a significant difference in how we perceive a particular story, which is very much the case with this film.

The most challenging aspect of Lisa Frankenstein, outside of perhaps crafting a story that was intriguing and scintillating without being too ribald on one hand, or grotesque on the other, came in the form of the characterization. Much like the works that inspired it, the film consists of a range of eccentric characters that are not supposed to be overly complex, but still have some semblance of a personality that prevents them from being merely thinly-drawn archetypes. Certain stock characters logically had to go into this film for narrative purposes, but they were all defined to have some kind of dimension, even if only marginally. Kathryn Newton has been gradually forging quite a unique career in film and television, and she has made some terrific films that indicate a very promising future. Her performance as the titular protagonist in Lisa Frankenstein is wonderful – she’s quirky without being too offbeat, and her unique sense of style and humour are put to good use in creating this character. In many ways, she’s the most challenging character, since she is seemingly the only ordinary person surrounded by bigger personalities, but Newton still manages to leave a profound impression, which she does by tempering her performance to be more complex than initially intended. Cole Sprouse plays her undead beau in a mostly wordless performance, his tall frame and unique expressivity being the primary tools he uses in playing this part. The standouts of the supporting cast include the always reliable Carla Gugino as one of the most hilariously over-the-top riffs on the wicked stepmother archetype, as well as Liza Soberano as Lisa’s well-meaning but very dim step-sister, who steals nearly every scene she is in through her impeccable comedic timing. The characters aren’t the most complex, but they are exactly what we would expect from this film, which are funny, heartfelt performances that push the narrative along without distracting too much from the central intentions of the story.

However, very rarely do we find a work of sheer audacity being executed without any shortcomings, and Lisa Frankenstein does struggle with certain elements that prevent it from being an entirely smooth journey. This is a debut feature since there are several aspects, both narratively and visually, that show the more novice hands at the helm – it’s not necessarily a criticism so much as it is an observation, since very rarely do we find such an ambitious concept being brought to life without a few small obstacles in its way. The main problem with the film is that it isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be, at least in terms of the tone. It is formed as a throwback to John Hughes’ 1980s Brat Pack comedies, but it also wants to be a bawdy, almost seductive exploration of burgeoning sexuality and the experience of falling in love – and unfortunately, the two aren’t always very compatible, especially since the coming-of-age comedies that Williams uses as inspiration were prevented from being too risqué, to maintain their status as being relatively accessible by most viewers. The problem here is that Lisa Frankenstein wants to go further and explore these themes, but it only manages to get halfway there – despite running a respectable 100 minutes, the film feels too short, mainly because there are so many plot threads that are introduced throughout, and the constant diversions and rapid-fire pace, while entertaining and very much in agreement with the overall intentions of the film, create quite an unsteady tone, something that the film struggles to perfect. It’s not enough to derail it – the film is extremely entertaining and rarely feels even momentarily dull, but it’s the slight lack of precision that ultimately causes Lisa Frankenstein to lose some of its momentum, which it only starts to regain in the later moments when the director decides to completely surrender to the absurdity, which is truly where such a premise becomes most remarkable.

There have been so many efforts to manufacture a cult following for contemporary films, it can almost feel jarring when there’s one that is intentional in what it aims to achieve but manages to meet all the necessary criteria organically, rather than having to mimic the motions normally associated with these films. Lisa Frankenstein is not a film that lacks flaws, but it’s in these imperfections that we find it extremely endearing and far more compelling than anything else we are likely to encounter. It can be argued that the film doesn’t go far enough – it unintentionally restricted itself from being able to make as strong of an impression as it could have, had it chosen to focus on a specific tone rather than trying to occupy more than one genre. Yet, we can’t help but be thoroughly charmed by the film, which is a result of it being a very earnest, well-intentioned horror comedy that is not only focused on gross-out humour or inappropriate comedy but rather is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about a young woman discovering herself in the process of navigating the challenges of adolescent romance. It’s an oddly heartwarming film with many wonderful, complex elements that may not be explored in their entirety, but still, leave enough of an impression for us to have a lot of fun with this material. Williams is quite new to directing, so we can only assume that she will continue to develop her skills, since despite a few flaws that we can mostly overlook, Lisa Frankenstein is wonderfully ambitious and genuinely very entertaining, with its playful approach to genre, distinct visual style and overall appreciation of the past being major factors that go into the creation of this delightful and irreverent future cult classic.