With the relatively recent release of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ in October 2025, I’ve been thinking about the wider moral and existential themes in Mary Shelley’s 19th century novel, brought to life anew by del Toro’s cinematography, and by a brilliant soundtrack to the film produced and orchestrated by Alexandre Desplat. Primarily a gothic, orchestral score, the 37 songs on the soundtrack blend the delicacy of complex emotion with dark and dramatic undertones to convey the rather haunting elements of the film. Listening to the soundtrack as I write this article, I cannot help but visualise the scenes of the film before my eyes as the corresponding music flows through my headphones. Subsequently, lo and behold, inspiration has stuck, and compelled me to compile a small list of the ways in which Frankenstein is relatable to university students (especially when the looming formative and summative deadlines can feel much like a gothic nightmare), and the lessons we can take away from it. I have then attributed a track or two from the Frankenstein playlist to each lesson, based on its atmospheric effects – because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of finding horror and gothic art comparable to real-life.
Track 14 (Symmetry) – The ‘what have I done’ moment during or after a big assignment.
When at university, one never quite knows when the existential dread brought by an upcoming assignment might hit. It could be while you’re in the Billy B silent study areas, or on a night out to distract yourself from familiar stress, or the dread of not knowing how well you’ve done on an assignment. In any case, the feeling of ‘what have I created???’ which Victor experiences is a rather relatable one. ‘Symmetry’ is a score characterised by a hurried flurry of strings, followed by dramatic and intense collision of various orchestral instruments, and fully captures the panic and intensity of having much to do, and not nearly enough time to do it with utter perfection.
Track 13 (God’s Design); Track 15 (Body Building) – To finish what you start.
As nerve-racking as academic assessments may be, it is just as important to make sure to be consistent in a healthy manner. Don’t pull a Victor and give up on your creation – believe in yourself, keep at it, and eventually you will have something you are proud of making. The hazard of having no faith in yourself and believing that something you have worked on is nowhere near satisfactory is that it leads to giving up pre-maturely and missing out on the experience of a well-deserved ‘I made it’ moment. ‘God’s Design’, and two tracks later ‘Body Building’, capture the daunting but imperative nature of working hard – it is necessary to sustain your efforts in the face of hardship for the taste of being successful. With the minor chords rising up in tempo and rhythm to deliver an expansive, cathartic release of orchestral notes, the two tracks offer a good representation of realising what is at stake if you never see your work through. Don’t deny yourself the very attainable luxury of success!
Forgiveness is difficult, but freeing, and a necessary step along the trail of life
Track 17 (Awakening); Track 36 (Forgiveness) – Forgiveness.
One of my favourite additions to the new movie adaptation which is not seen in the novel is towards the very end, when Victor asks the Creature for forgiveness. From this touching moment we can take away the importance of forgiving ourselves for our imperfect projects and choosing to love them, because they’re all part of a wider creation which ultimately forms the whole of our university years. Often things will not go our way, and that’s okay. Be nice to yourself and forgive your creation, because while it may not be exactly what you wanted it to be, it is still yours. ‘Awakening’ is laden with what Jonathan Broxton calls its ‘Sublime emotional pathos’, which profoundly conveys the bittersweet nature of forgiveness. It is difficult, but freeing, and a necessary step along the trail of life which you will have to take time after time.
Track 9 (Elizabeth); Track 11 (Victor in love); Track 37 (Eternity) – The importance of empathy and connection.
Like the Creature, we all long for a companion. It is easy to feel dejected when for so many of us, especially freshers, it is the first time moving very far away from home, learning how to live alone, and getting accustomed to a different way of living alongside higher education. Perfectionists that we are, we often overwork ourselves (much to the detriment of our well-being) and miss out on talking to people, hanging out with them, and remembering that we are all in the same boat. As such, it is important to remember the dangers of isolation. ‘Elizabeth’ is characterised by a deeply emotional, almost nostalgic tone. Elizabeth Lavenza is, both in the book and the film, the epitome of someone whose company makes things bearable, if even for a second. ‘Victor in love’, too, stands in contrast with the rest of the soundtrack as it trades gothic elements for a more elegant, airy, and joyful score. It is one of the very few moments of Victor’s life where he is not plagued by his madness and isolating contempt for everything, including himself. It goes to show, really, that as awesome as having some ‘me-time’ is (and I can attest to it), it is just as awesome to spend time with people and talk things through. Sometimes a friend is all we need!
Image Credit: Alexander Grey on Unsplash