Look Frankenstein on Netflix, and you might notice something unusual about the cast of Guillermo del Toro's new film: Mia Goth (Pearl, X, Maxsin) plays two different roles: the mother of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and his lover Elizabeth.
It's not exactly a subtle move. Del Toro seems to make it clear that Victor is in arrested development. Despite his incredible intelligence and skills as a surgeon, he is still just a little boy in love with his mother. This metaphor pops up everywhere Frankensteinand this is reflected in the costumes and prosthetics that help differentiate Goth's two characters: the ethereal Baroness Claire Frankenstein (Victor's mother) and the delightfully strange Lady Elizabeth Harlander (his brother's fiancée… it's complicated).
“In this world, the mother is more abstract,” costume designer Kate Hawley tells Polygon. “She’s not a real mother who makes you breakfast—she’s more of a part of the dream world.”
The biggest visual difference between Elizabeth and Claire is the colors they wear. Most of Baroness Frankenstein's clothing is dark red. “Guillermo calls it blood red,” Hawley says. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's dresses are inspired by her love of nature and insects in particular. “The greens have an almost iridescent bug coloring to them.”
Hawley used iridescent fabrics intended to imitate the “miracle of nature.” When creating Elizabeth's dresses, she also took inspiration from the patterns of malachite, a green mineral that takes the form of stunning rock crystals. “It was all carefully chosen and scaled,” she says.
These color palettes go beyond Goth costumes. Victor Frankenstein surrounds himself with the color “dove-red” throughout the film, from his clothing to his home decor, to reinforce the mama's boy metaphor.
“The red gloves and the red curtains—it all comes back to Mother,” Hawley says. “This is quite Freudian.”
Del Toro uses another trick to differentiate her Goth characters, and it goes far beyond the color of her beautiful dresses. Mike Hill, who served as head of the prosthetic makeup effects department, told Polygon that he designed a special prosthetic that the goth could wear while performing as Claire Frankenstein.
“I sculpted a whole forehead and nose for her,” Hill says. “The forehead was supposed to resemble Oscar Isaac's because she was playing his mother.”
Hill adds that he's particularly proud of the work – “it wasn't easy” – and notes that some viewers don't even realize that both roles end up being played by a goth.
But whether you noticed her double behavior or not, Frankenstein There are enough visual clues scattered throughout to help viewers understand that Victor's obsession with his mother goes beyond simple parental love, and perhaps help explain some of the story's darker twists.
Frankenstein streaming now on Netflix.
