The Bride was easily one of my wife’s most anticipated movies of the year. The trailer looked like a lot of fun, and it had a great cast with Christian Bale and Jesse Buckley in the lead roles. Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, and Jake Gyllenhaal are all part of an ensemble cast that clearly went above and beyond for director Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Where to Watch The Bride!
The Bride! was released on March 6, 2026. You can stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review
There was a lot being said about The Bride. I heard some people say it was one of the worst movies that they had seen, and that they had people walking out of the theatre. I think that is pretty damn harsh. Sure, this was not amazing, but it is not the trainwreck that some people were making it out to be. My wife loved it; she said that she got pretty much exactly what she expected from the trailer. For me, I thought that it was ok, I knew that this was going to be weird, and weird was what I got.
Jessie Buckley’s Triple Role in The Bride!
The story here is not your typical Bride of Frankenstein story at all. Jessie Buckley plays a dual role here; actually, it is like a triple role! Ida is a young woman who is hanging out with some mob guys when she is possessed by the spirit of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley! That right there sets the tone for what you are in for here. After mouthing off to the gangsters while possessed by Mary Shelley, the goons take her out and end up killing her.
Christian Bale’s Frank and the Creation of the Bride
Also happening across the city in Chicago, Frankenstein’s monster, who is called Frank, has made his way to the office of Dr. Cornelia Euphronius, as she is an expert in reanimation, and he wants her to make him a bride, as he is lonely. They end up getting the body of Ida, reanimating her, but she has lost all her memories. Frank tells her that she is called Penelope and that she is his wife.
Gothic Horror, 1930s Chicago, and Surreal Style
From here, Frank and his Bride go on a rampage through Chicago and end up leaving the city, but trouble follows them. Two detectives are hot on their trail and trying to figure out what is really going on here. This movie is freaking weird, but that is the point! Some scenes are fantastic, and the 1930s setting, music, clothing, and everything about it, look great! However, the weird stuff here feels like it is trying way too hard. Speaking of trying way too hard, we have to talk about Jessie Buckley.
Jessie Buckley Performance Analysis in The Bride!
Most of the praise that you will see about The Bride is for the performance of Jessie Buckley, and for the most part, she is great. Playing three different characters must have been one heck of a task. However, when she is being Mary Shelley, I found it unintentionally hilarious and not in a good way. There is a wrestler called Timeless Toni Storm, and her performance as Mary Shelley felt like a parody of that. Sure, this is a personal thing, but at the end of the day, I can only give my opinion on the movie. My wife disagreed; she thought that Jessie Buckley was amazing.
Is The Bride! Worth Watching?
The Bride is the kind of movie that is not going to be for everyone, and to be honest, I can see why, if someone were watching it at home, they would turn it off if they did not like it. For me, there was more good than bad here. I did not love it, but it was sure as hell an interesting movie. My wife said that she would watch it again, but I am not sure I would.
