10 Horror Movie Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-Off
6. Mary Shelley - The Bride!
In The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal offered a bold new take on the Bride of Frankenstein, inspired by the fact that the character featured so little in the 1935 film that took its name from her. The 2026 picture was certainly flawed, buoyed by outstanding performances from both Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, but there was a strong story to be told in there.
Ironically, this wasn't about the Bride directly. One of the more confusing elements of the movie was that the Bride, or Ida (Buckley) as she was known before her reanimation, was being possessed by the voice and the spirit of Mary Shelley (also Buckley) from beyond the grave.
This was how Shelley brought to life the story she was never able to in life, but instead of as a confusing framing device around the 1930s Chicago-based story, a narrative actually surrounding the Frankenstein author could have been more impactful.
Mary Shelley occupying space within the world she herself created, and from the afterlife no less, didn't quite work, whereas a thought-provoking story surrounding Shelley herself and presenting the same themes and social commentary as The Bride! may have made for a better and more compelling tale.