Blank Check with Griffin & David
Episode: Frankenstein And The Craft Category Juggernauts
Date: February 12, 2026
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode centers around Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and its position as an Oscar “craft juggernaut”—a film dominating technical category nominations, but potentially sidelined in the major awards. The conversation explores how “Frankenstein” fits into Oscar history, del Toro’s visual sensibilities, and broader questions about what makes certain blockbusters stand out in the craft categories. The hosts and guest Bilga Abiri provide deep digs into adaptation, performance, production design, and the broader context of the awards season.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Wuthering Heights Adaptation Rabbit Hole
(00:45–10:11)
- Bilga Abiri shares her exhaustive project: watching every global adaptation of Wuthering Heights, from Indian telenovelas to Egyptian and Turkish versions.
- "I am watching every single adaptation… I had to draw the line at telenovelas because there are multiple telenovelas, like, 50 episode series from the 50s and 60s..." (02:29, Bilga Abiri)
- Discusses the adaptations' liberties and creative spins, such as gender-flipped or MTV-ified versions (e.g., “Spark House”).
- Reflection on how niche list-making has changed:
- “…now people actually kind of get angry at you if you include films they've never heard of.” (07:17, Bilga Abiri)
- Discovery of Egyptian director Kamal Al Sheikh and his noir-inflected take on Wuthering Heights.
2. Frankenstein: Oscar Nominations & The ‘Craft Category’ Phenomenon
(19:01–24:51)
- “Frankenstein” racks up nominations in categories like visual effects, art direction, score, sound, makeup, production design, cinematography, and costumes.
- “Did very well... it happened pre-Titanic, but post-Titanic, the floodgates opened for these big blockbusters that also had this kind of prestigy thing to it.” (19:24, Benjamin Frisch)
- Comparison to “Dune,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Lord of the Rings,” which won technical Oscars but not always Best Picture.
- Craft categories are often dominated by genre films that the Academy admires for spectacle but not “artistry.”
3. Del Toro’s Visual World & Its Impact
(26:43–36:37)
- Bilga Abiri raises the issue that Frankenstein’s sets, while stunning, can look artificial:
- “It does look kind of like, if I'm being less generous, the Disneyland version of this world...” (26:59, Bilga Abiri)
- Del Toro’s “storybook” maximalism sometimes overwhelms the on-screen drama, failing to feel lived-in versus, for example, early Tim Burton.
- Comparison to "Nightmare Alley" and how production design can overshadow emotional stakes.
- Despite criticisms, Elordi’s performance as the Monster is praised for injecting life into the film:
- “Elordi comes in and just absolutely breathes life into the movie. …the spark of life that kind of gives the movie its soul.” (34:27, Bilga Abiri)
4. The Two-Part Structure: The Monster vs. Victor Frankenstein
(36:37–39:15)
- The film initially proposed as two movies: one from Victor’s POV, one from the Monster’s.
- Sympathies and attention lean heavily toward the Monster; Victor remains chilly and unengaging.
- “You also have to, like… sympathize with him in some way. And he is just so kind of like, off putting from the beginning…” (36:52, Alison Wilmore)
- Consensus that Oscar Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein feels one-note and programmed, lacking emotional shading.
5. Frankenstein as Adaptation and Performance
(44:18–49:28)
- Hosts and guests share their personal relationships with Frankenstein as a text and character—ranging from gothic childhood terror to vampire girl rivalries.
- Comparison of Elordi’s Monster: more handsome, wronged, less dangerous than classic versions (e.g., Karloff’s portrayal throws a little girl in the water—not out of malice, but confusion).
- Del Toro’s fixation on the “sympathetic monster” recurs throughout his work:
- “The real monsters are always the humans. Like the monsters, like, the real monsters are always..." (47:52, Alison Wilmore)
6. The Oscar Isaac Question
(53:22–60:44)
- Isaac’s casting seen as a mismatch for the big, bellowing Victor Frankenstein—he’s a subtler actor.
- “Oscar Isaac… is not the kind of actor who gives that kind of big, broad performance…” (53:22, Bilga Abiri)
- The performance (and script) leans so hard into making Victor villainous that he becomes unrelatable.
- “There’s so much on the page that is villainous, and I feel like Isaac just leans into that so much.” (55:05, Alison Wilmore)
- Comparison to roles where Isaac finds empathy even in deeply flawed characters (“Inside Llewyn Davis”).
7. Supporting Cast: Mia Goth & Christoph Waltz
(62:00–64:11)
- Mia Goth visually striking but given little dimension—her “delicate butterfly” monologue feels redundant for her public persona.
- Christoph Waltz as the syphilitic, devil’s-bargain studio head/benefactor gets praise for humanity and a memorable final scene.
8. Del Toro as “Establishment” and Where the Oscars Stand
(73:19–74:20)
- Reflection on Del Toro’s transformation from outsider “weird freaky” director to Oscar royalty.
- “He’s almost like kind of this establishment choice at this point…” (73:30, Bilga Abiri)
- Comparison to Lanthimos, who’s now pushing the Academy’s boundaries further with true weirdness.
- Accolades for Del Toro but skepticism whether “Frankenstein” can win outside technical categories.
9. Oscars Season & Competitors
(75:54–85:44)
- Discussion of other Best Picture nominees: “Sinners,” “Train Dreams,” “Hamnet,” “F1,” and their respective controversies.
- Netflix strategy: getting films seen (& discussed) by the masses, boosting their Oscar recognition.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Craft Categories & Big Blockbusters
"And so each successive round of Australians that went up to take the [Oscars] awards was kind of kookier than the last."
— Benjamin Frisch on Fury Road’s technical sweep (20:34)
On Del Toro’s Visual Style
"It's something that about this film that I find fascinating and at times troublesome. …if I'm being less generous, the Disneyland version of this world."
— Bilga Abiri (26:59)
"He's such a good conceptualist. But then, yeah, he doesn't, ironically enough, given that it's Frankenstein, give it that spark of life that I really want."
— Benjamin Frisch (32:21)
On Oscar Isaac’s Performance as Victor Frankenstein
"He’s just, you know, he’s just kind of this like screaming guy… he becomes progressively more and more, like, one-dimensional."
— Bilga Abiri (57:54)
On Del Toro’s Monster vs. Earlier Versions
"It's almost like a kind of stereotype of like a YA fantasy thing where you’re like, oh, it's so awful that I'm like, of these both worlds... I'm tall and, like, you know, hot and just striking looking and everyone hates me because of that."
— Alison Wilmore (65:31)
On Del Toro’s Place in the Oscar Ecology
"He makes a movie and it's kind of like, yeah, it'll probably get nominated for Best Picture at this point. No matter what it is…"
— Bilga Abiri (73:30)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:45–10:11 — Wuthering Heights adaptation odyssey
- 19:01–24:51 — “Frankenstein” Oscar nominations & history of the craft category juggernauts
- 26:43–36:37 — Visual critiques: artificiality, maximalism, and Elordi ‘sparking’ life in the film
- 36:37–39:15 — Two-part movie concept, Victor vs. Monster, issues with audience empathy
- 44:18–49:28 — Personal relationships to Frankenstein, Del Toro’s version vs. classic monsters
- 53:22–60:44 — Oscar Isaac’s miscasting and performance analysis
- 62:00–64:11 — Supporting performances: Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz
- 73:19–74:20 — Del Toro as Oscar establishment; shift of “freaky” Oscar bait to others (Lanthimos)
- 75:54–85:44 — Season roundup: “Train Dreams,” “Hamnet,” Netflix’s Oscar dynamics
Overall Tone & Takeaways
The hosts’ tone is analytic but playful—peppered with dry humor, film nerd digressions, and lively debate. The episode delivers a well-balanced reckoning with “Frankenstein” as both a gorgeous technical achievement and an emotionally inconsistent drama, embodying the paradoxes of blockbuster Oscar contenders.
For listeners considering “Frankenstein,” the episode suggests it is a visual marvel with standout performances (especially Elordi), but hampered by tonal distance and a lackluster protagonist. Its Oscar fate? Likely to sweep the crafts, but Best Picture remains out of reach—continuing a long tradition that stretches from “Titanic” to “Fury Road.”
Further Listening/Viewing Suggestions
- “Frankenstein” (2026, dir. Guillermo del Toro) — Netflix/limited theaters
- “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (1994, dir. Kenneth Branagh)
- Guillermo del Toro’s earlier films: “Hellboy II,” “Blade II,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water”
- “Train Dreams,” “Hamnet,” “Sinners” — other discussed Oscar frontrunners
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