Horror and comedy are, perhaps, the best ways to effectively depict stories about teen angst and the “monsters” that plague their daily existence.
Case in point is the cult classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” created by Joss Whedon. The now-defunct TV show perfectly metaphorized high school monsters and how it’s like to deal with teen angst.
There hasn’t been a lot of works that came close to achieving what the iconic show has.
Maybe that’s going to change with Zelda William’s “Lisa Frankenstein.”
Kathryn Newton plays Lisa Swallows, a quiet and somehow depressed teen who is still reeling from the effects of losing a parent while dealing with a new step family.
Anxious and most of the time solitary, Lisa spends her time at the local cemetery unless she’s encouraged by her supportive step sister Taffy, played by an exuberant Liza Soberano, to attend a party or be open to the idea of going after boys.
The movie opens with a cute scene of the step sisters preparing to go to a party–a great way to establish the stark contrast between the two characters. It’s like the Morgendorffers in a parallel universe.
That party turns out to be life-changing for the introverted Lisa when a lightning brought to life the inhabitant of the grave she frequents: the Creature (played by Cole Sprouse).
Lisa’s life suddenly takes on a different turn, much to the delight of her step sister. But will she be able to sustain this new-found confidence?
While the story isn’t exactly remarkable, the movie’s strength is its energetic young cast. Diablo Cody captured the sensibilities of teens in that era, which don’t really differ much from today. There are layers in her characters.
They’re more than the archetypes they belong to, which made them more relatable. It can also be attributed to the performances of the actors.
Newton effectively portrayed a struggling and angsty teenager. Her character’s transformation was fun to witness.
Sprouse, on the other hand, brought life to his undead character. The time he spent training with a mime sure worked in his favor. Interestingly enough, his and Newton’s characters had a chemistry that makes the idea of romance between a young girl and a corpse less frightening.
That leaves us with Soberano, who delivers a scene-stealing performance.
While she does play a supporting role, Soberano’s Taffy graced the screen for a majority of the movie, allowing audiences the pleasure of seeing her impressive acting range.
Her comedic prowess is almost flawless. What’s good is she may have just given a whole new meaning to the popular cheerleader archetype. Her portrayal of Taffy as a sweet, charming and SINCERE popular IT girl was a breath of fresh air (especially now that Mean Girls, a movie that depicts a popular high school girl, is also showing in cinemas) and makes us think that it’s possible for popular high schoolers to actually be nice.
She’s not only goofy here. In fact, in several scenes, she’s shown us her chops as a dramatic actress. Above all else, it’s her innate brilliance that radiates from the screen. And take note, that radiance, as bright as it is, did not, for one second, overshadow the two main leads.
Now that’s true star power.
“Lisa Frankenstein” is now showing in cinemas.
