Son of Frankenstein is a sufficiently unsettling, intelligent, moralistic, and visually boastful horror/monster drama both on its own and as a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein and the original classic. Set decades after Henry von Frankenstein initially breathed new life into his massive humanlike creature (Boris Karloff) only for it to go on a mass killing spree, his son Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) relocates his family back into the family castle. He discovers the village’s painfully grave resentment for anyone associated with him while unburying his late father’s work, initially rendering him reluctant to touch anything from the past. However, in discovering a note left by Frankenstein Sr. pleading with his son to continue the work despite its “cruel and torturous” path, with help from a broken-necked grave robber, Ygor (Bela Lugosi), he decides to try and restore his family’s name and resurrect the monster. While the beast initially shows pure love and loyalty towards those who do right by him, like Ygor, a string of unknown murders in the village raises suspicions of the creature’s actions and whereabouts. Wolf von Frankenstein must vindicate his family and the beast or take the blame for his and his father’s creation – before anyone else dies and tragic history repeats itself.

While this Frankenstein does not embellish as much killing or terror as earlier entries may, it makes up for those in its characters and witty dialogue. The entire film consists of characters lying to one another; each time someone has the opportunity to confess or cease potentially dangerous actions, they offer rebuttals in coded responses. Their nerves and jumpiness match the gravity of their deceits as they and general tension build, creating electrically organic chaos with or without the monster’s direct involvement. This writing style sometimes results in oddly dissonant responses but nothing too unrealistically disruptive. Wolf and Ygor’s opposing motives for resurrecting the monster create an exciting conflict despite their thin presentation, especially given the monster’s loyalty to Ygor. Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) is an absorbing side-hero, with more than his cartoonish crank-like arm making him a commanding presence. Karloff returns with a sensitively brutish portrayal that makes the monster a tragic character, boding arguably most vital here given the film’s time jump from its predecessors, which makes Karloff the sole returning cast member. With every loss he endures or pain he suffers, Karloff presents emotionally and physically stunted magic, forcing morosity into viewers’ hearts. Rathbone fills the next Dr. Frankenstein with charming integrity, and his wife, Baroness Elsa von Frankenstein (Josephine Hutchinson), counters his madness with convincing logic. While Son of Frankenstein is less concerned with horror, it continues to shape Frankenstein’s monster as more than just a monster. He continues to grow a soul, even if others restrict him from such freedoms.

Screens on 35 mm Friday, 5/10, 7:00 pm and Saturday, 5/11 4:00 pm @ Somerville Theatre
Boris Karloff’s daughter, Sara Karloff, in-person Q&A
Double feature w/ The Body Snatcher