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Zohran Mamdani: New York City’s Next Mayor

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(Photo courtesy of abcnews.go.com) Zohran Mamdani during his winning speech.

Tristin Henson
Connector Editor

So, he did it. Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral election, receiving 50.4% of the vote. He is the first Muslim elected to this position in New York City, the first person of South Asian descent, an immigrant from Uganda, young, dedicated to a better future, hardworking, and one hell of a good public speaker grounded in fact, knowledge, and empathy. All qualities that seem so rare in this current time in the USA, even though this country is built on so many people like him. His win has personally been a breath of fresh air for me, a glimmer of hope and anti-corruption in such grim and fascist times.

This hope is something that I think a vast majority of Americans can relate to, despite not even living in New York. After Mamdani’s win, I had friends posting all over Instagram about it, close friends and family members eagerly texting me, and I have heard a general positive, public buzz. I’ve even seen comments from people outside the USA who were rooting for Mamdani and were happy for us in the USA that he won. This is probably due to a couple of reasons: the fact that the USA infuses its politics into the rest of the world, that good news right now is few and far between, and because the USA used to be a trendsetter for how other democratic and/or left-leaning countries would go about creating policy.

Of course, in recent times, that status has fallen on its knees; I personally feel embarrassed every time the USA has anything to do with global relations anymore. However, for the first time in a while, I feel proud to be American. I feel proud of the fact that New Yorkers elected someone who has their best interests at heart, and again, I suspect a lot of other Americans feel this way.

And Mamdani hasn’t gloated or held anything above anyone’s heads (even if I personally feel like he should after all the racism, Islamophobia, and personal insults he has endured throughout his campaign). He also hasn’t suddenly changed his platform or who he is as a politician after winning, telling Trump in his victory speech on Tuesday night, “Turn the volume up” to roaring applause from the audience.

It can’t be ignored that his win wasn’t the only left-leaning win Tuesday night, but the fact remains that most people are especially hyped about his win in particular. This shouldn’t be a surprise; he has a very strong social media presence and did a tremendous amount of public outreach, actually going out and meeting people where they were at in New York City. But, people were still worried, including me, because Cuomo (and the billionaires who support him) spent over 40 million to try and stop Zohran Mamdani from getting into office.

The worst of the challenges are still far from over. Once Mamdani gets sworn into office, I guarantee conservative-leaning and right-wing politicians will try to stop him at every corner. They are afraid that if Mamdani is actually able to pull through with his promises of making the buses free, freezing rent prices, increasing minimum wage, and lowering the cost of living (among many other positives), that New York City will become the example of what a democratic socialist, who cares about others and follows through on his word, can do.

That if Mamdani is able to pull it off, both parties in power cannot simply state, ‘vote for me if you don’t want the other guy to win’ anymore. That Americans might finally wake up and see that they deserve to not only survive, but thrive, and that they can achieve that with people like Mamdani. And that we, the people, can make that future happen.

Men’s Basketball cruises to victory with a brand-new roster

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(Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics) “Senior Austin Green rises up to finish his layup against two Rivier defenders.”

Jake Messer

Connector Editor

On Monday, Nov. 3, UMass Lowell dismantled Rivier University by a score of 107-55 in their regular season opener at home. Senior student Austin Green led the team to the win with 21 points, shooting 9-13 from the field. This marks the sixth straight year that Lowell has opened the season with a victory. The result was never in any doubt, but the journey to get there began long before tipoff.

Thanks in part to players transferring and graduating last season, the River Hawks only have one player who clocked minutes for last year’s squad, sophomore Keenan Bey, who registered 31 minutes of playtime. This isn’t to say the River Hawks will be terrible this year; far from it, as the America East Preseason coaches’ poll has Lowell finishing in fourth place. That’s not bad at all for a team with 10 new players on the roster, and Head Coach Duquette, who is entering his 13th season with Lowell, has faith that this team will come together and play up to their fullest potential.

“We got a good number of transfers and guys with experience, so that’s been a plus,” says Duquette. “We definitely have more size, and we’re more athletic up front than our past teams have been. Those are two areas that have been good right from the start.”

Indeed they have been, as the River Hawks showed off that size and athleticism early against the Raiders with Green grabbing his own rebound over the defender and laying it up himself for the first bucket of the game. Green would score again off a nice feed from junior Jared Frey. The hot start would conclude when junior guard Darrel Yepdo, from Dracut, Mass., set up junior Shawn Simmons II for the two-handed flush, energizing the River Hawk faithful.

Halfway through the first, the River Hawks looked solid despite 3 turnovers. However, the one thing that was giving them trouble was rebounding. Lowell was losing that battle to Rivier 12-11, keeping the game close when the Raiders took their first timeout at 20-13 points.

With 7:52 left before halftime, the River Hawks made excellent plays. With active hands and fast feet, Lowell held Rivier to shooting 5-21 from the field and had three steals, resulting in seven points. With Lowell calling their first timeout, they huddled up to a 29-15 lead.

Heading into halftime, Lowell’s lead began to slip. A combination of nine turnovers with six missed free-throws allowed Rivier to creep back into the game. The Raiders capitalized on the mistakes, and by the sound of the halftime horn, the score was 42-32 in favor of Lowell.

“I thought we gave up too many points defensively,” Coach Duquette says. “I didn’t think guys were playing as comfortably, and I saw some out-of-character plays.”

Coming out of the half, Lowell went on a 15-5 run with Yepdo burying a corner three and throwing a dime to Simmons II who laid it up and in for the score. Green, who was taking over the game, was also active during this run as well, banking home two layups and grabbing a tough rebound. The River Hawks looked more focused and ready to play their style of basketball after the break.

With a little over 11 minutes left, Lowell was beginning to pull away for good. With more dominance on the offensive board and no turnovers in the half up until this point, the River Hawks were up big by a score of 68-39.

The game would continue with such, as the River Hawks enforced their will all over the court and continued pouring it on. The game would end with a Lowell victory, sending the fans home happy.

The two players that stood out in the opener were junior Khalil Farmer, who finished the night with an efficient 14 points on 4-5 shooting from the field, and Green, who registered a double-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. He was undoubtedly the player of the game and looked phenomenal in his River Hawks debut.

Even with the nice start to the season, Coach Duquette knows this is just the start of a long journey for this team. “Simple plays helped us tonight,” says coach Duquette. “We found the right guys and shared the ball correctly. We didn’t care who scored; we just made the right play. It’s a good lesson to learn on our first night out, something we can take with us when we take on UConn on Friday.”

The Dodgers defeat the Blue Jays in an epic seven game series to win their second straight World Series

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(Photo courtesy of Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) “The Dodgers run out of the dugout to celebrate their second straight championship.”

Jake Messer

Connector Editor

In what was a truly memorable Game 7, The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked off the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 5-4 to win back-to-back World Series Championships, the first team to win consecutive championships since the 2000 New York Yankees. 

In an up-and-down, back-and-forth series where both teams had multiple opportunities to close it out, the Dodgers capitalized on a superhuman effort from pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to propel them to the championship. Yamamoto was incredible throughout the fall classic, as he earned a victory in Game 2 by throwing a complete game. His next time on the mound, he threw six innings while only giving up one run in a dominant Game 6 showing, helping the Dodgers force a Game 7. 

In said game, after throwing 96 pitches the night before, Yamamoto walked onto the mound in relief and held the Blue Jays’ bats at bay for 2.2 innings, getting the last three outs to clinch the title. In total, Yamamoto threw a ridiculous 215 pitches in the World Series. As a result of his heroics, Yamamoto was voted as the World Series MVP.  

“When I started in the bullpen before I went in, to be honest, I was not really sure if I could pitch up there to my best ability,” Yamamoto said via his interpreter. “But as I started getting warmed up, because I started making a little bit of an adjustment, and then I started thinking I can go in and do my job.” 

Another key to the Dodgers’ success was two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Throughout the seven-game marathon, Ohtani pitched two games, throwing eight innings while giving up 11 hits and surrendering seven runs. It wasn’t his best showing on the mound, but he more than made up for it behind the plate. 

Nine hits, three home runs and 5 RBI’s, to name just a few, were powerful ways Ohtani impacted the series on his way to his second MLB Championship.  

“Everything was so fun,” Ohtani said. “I think on both sides, their team, our team, I think we had an amazing game and it’s something I can only imagine.”  

The series, as previously mentioned, was tense and back and forth, as the highlight before the epic finale was the 18-inning marathon in Game 3 that saw the Dodgers walk off with the victory thanks to infielder Freddie Freeman’s homerun. The runtime was six hours and 39 minutes, which makes it the second longest game in the fall classic behind the 2018 Game 3 marathon between the Red Sox and Dodgers, which also went 18 innings and was played for seven hours and 20 minutes.  

For the last game of the season, 51 million fans from all over the world tuned in to watch the epic game unfold, which is the most for a World Series game since 1991. The game most certainly delivered.  

As the old saying goes, money doesn’t buy championships, but it certainly helps. The Dodgers led the Major League in funding this season with a payroll of $321 million, and with most of the roster locked down for next year, what exactly is stopping this lineup from going for a three-peat? This isn’t speculation; it’s an outright goal as Ohtani made his intentions clear.  

“Hello,” Ohtani began in English. “I want to say I’m so proud of this team and I want to say you guys are the greatest fans in the world. I’m ready to get another ring next year.” 

With that being said, there is one player not coming back to the Dodgers next season, as the 37-year-old, future Hall of Fame pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, is retiring from baseball after capturing his third championship in his storied career.  

Kershaw, who spent his entire 18-year career with the Dodgers, will be sorely missed, even if he was running out of gas towards the end of season, which he admitted to and cites as one of his reasons for choosing retirement.  

“I don’t think [throwing} 88 mph is going to cut it anymore in today’s game,” Kershaw said. “It’s my time, I’m at peace with it, it’s time to go.”  

Lowell is shutout at home by New Hampshire in the first game of the weekend

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(Photo Courtesy of Jason Cooke) “UML Band prepares to preform throughout the home game against New Hampshire.”

Jason Cooke

Connector Editor

It looked as though the UMass Lowell men’s hockey team was riding a crescendo of momentum into Friday’s matchup with the University of New Hampshire, but the River Hawks were again reminded of the constant parity of Hockey East in a 2-0 defeat in front of 6,008 fans at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. 

UNH held a measly 26-25 shots on goal advantage, but it was the Wildcats who took advantage of their opportunities to hand Lowell its second blanking of the season.  

UMass Lowell (4-5-0, 2-3-0 HE) was 0-for-5 on the power play in what was the difference on Friday despite a strong showing in goal from netminder Austin Elliot, who made 25 saves.  

“It wasn’t the result we were looking for, obviously,” said head coach Norm Bazin. “You go into a game after a pretty nice effort last Saturday and you don’t have the same intensity. I think you win as a team and lose as a team, and today, we lost as a team.” 

UMass Lowell was less than a week removed from a big 5-1 win over Providence last Saturday entering Friday’s contest, but they couldn’t beat Kyle Chauvette, who impressed with 25 shots and was under fire on a plethora of UML power plays.  

Each team played to a scoreless first frame, but UNH opened the scoring at the 12:23 mark of the middle period on a goal by Cam McDonald. J.P. Turner flew into the slot with possession to set up the tally, sending a puck toward the direction of the net for a crashing McDonald, who beat Elliot on the doorstep to open the scoring.  

UNH put the finishing touches on the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minutes, as Ryan Philbrick sent the puck the length of the ice to double UNH’s lead. A lot will be up for grabs in Saturday night’s contest at UNH in UML’s last Hockey East clash until Dec. 5 when the River Hawks welcome Boston College to the Tsongas Center.  

 

Figure skating bans transgender skaters from competition

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(Photo courtesy: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports) “Amber Glenn takes a victory lap around the rink following the championship women medal ceremony during the 2024 US Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena.”

Olivia K

Connector Contributor 

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) – and as of late October, its member U.S. Figure Skating (USFS) – has limited participation in the female category to athletes assigned female at birth. The USOPC incorporated this policy in July due to a federal obligation to comply with President Trump’s executive order titled, “Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports”.  

Signed on February 5th of this year, the executive order strictly forbids federally chartered sports organizations from allowing individuals assigned male at birth to compete in the female category of their respective sport. The order states that organizations that fail to comply with its policies will have federal funding withheld. The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act established the USCOPC as a federally chartered non-profit, leaving it subject to federal orders. 

Trump’s order also states that its policy will be advocated for at the United Nations, showing an intention for global adoption. The order specifically mentions the Olympic Committee, stating “The Secretary of State shall use all appropriate and available measures to see that the International Olympic Committee amends the standards governing Olympic sporting events to promote fairness, safety, and the best interests of female athletes by ensuring that eligibility for participation in women’s sporting events is determined according to sex and not gender identity or testosterone reduction.” 

The USOPC spent months deliberating the order’s implications before changing its policies to meet the administration’s requirements. Following this, its member organization USFS took time to review and finalize its own policy changes to meet the USOPC’s policies. One of these policies requires the presentation of an original birth certificate identifying female sex. This new category policy marks a departure from the USFS’s 2016 Gender Policy. This policy allowed transgender women to compete in female sports, provided they met identity and hormone requirements. This is similar to UMass Lowell’s previously established policies regarding participation of transgender students in NCAA sports. 

The USFS has generally been outspoken in its support for the LGBTQ+ community and DEI policies. The organization put out an official statement regarding its recent policy changes, insisting, “At U.S. Figure Skating, we have long embraced a spirit of inclusion…That commitment remains at the heart of everything we do, particularly as we navigate changes in policy to ensure that our sport continues to be welcoming and fair for all and ensuring U.S. Figure Skating continues to be one of the most inclusive sports.” 

Some critics question whether the USFS or USOPC is to blame, or if the Trump administration’s policy is unavoidable for federally chartered organizations altogether. Generally, dissenters agree that the policy promotes discrimination and undermines the sense of belonging cultivated in competitive sports. 

Figure skating fosters a strong community here at UMass Lowell with the Ice Hawks, a performance-based skating club. When asked about the impact that the team has had on her, Ice Hawks member Amanda Montminy said, “It’s taught me a lot of perseverance, and it’s a very supportive environment. Everyone on the team is very welcoming, and it’s open to beginner and advanced skaters, which makes it a very inclusive club sport.” 

Americans struggle without SNAP benefits

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(Photo courtesy of Matt Rourke) “Americans wait in line for food assistance”

Olivia O’Sullivan

Connector Staff

In the wake of the government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would run out of funding to operate SNAP – the federal food assistance program – by November. The Trump administration previously stated that it would not be subsidizing November’s SNAP benefits with emergency funds.  

Before the cuts took effect on November 1, U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the Trump administration to fund the program. In response, the DOJ agreed to provide 65% of the benefits through a contingency fund. Trump took to his social media to state that SNAP benefits would be withheld until Senate Democrats agreed to the Republican legislature and the shutdown ended. Despite this statement, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt has stated that the administration does not plan to defy court orders.   

On the morning of November 7, Judge McConnell explicitly ordered the Trump administration to pay for SNAP benefits in full and suggested that the administration showed disregard for his previous order. He has accused Trump of using the hunger of Americans as a political tool, referring to his social media post that the gridlock must be ended for benefits to resume. Trump sought a federal appeals court to block McConnell’s ruling. On November 8, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to pause payments, leaving the future of SNAP during the government shutdown uncertain. 

While SNAP is widely regarded as a supplemental program, it serves as a primary source of food for millions in the United States. Food banks have been overwhelmed over the last week, and without federal support, local governments do not have the infrastructure to mitigate the effects of the cuts. The effects of SNAP cuts have demonstrated the sheer breadth of food insecurity in the United States. Should SNAP be inaccessible in the long-term, the effects will be felt by all. As an economic stabilizer it has a multiplier effect. According to data tables published by the USDA, every dollar in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity. Many grocers and businesses in lower income communities also rely on SNAP dollars. With nearly 42 million Americans – over 12% of the U.S. population – receiving aid from the program, the lack of this economic stimulus will be apparent. 

Over a quarter of Lowell households depend on SNAP for sufficient access to food. The community has quickly come together and taken action to provide for one another. Family-owned business Nibbāna Cafe has stepped up to feed Lowell. The cafe began offering a SNAP breakfast program to provide breakfast to those impacted by the cuts, no questions asked. In addition, they are operating a communal food pantry open to all. To owner Romany Meas, food is not something that can be taken away. She states, “Breakfast is for everybody. Food is a basic human right. My family fled from war and as immigrants, food stamps are deeply rooted in our community to help us get on our feet. I was on food stamps for a very long time. I went to school, tried to educate myself, save money while my husband worked and we ended up opening a barbershop… because of (the program) it got my family here today, so it’s very personal. The goal is to do this forever. With the help of community donations, we can have it going for as long as we want, as long as we need to. Sometimes we all struggle regardless of if we’re on food stamps or not. Sometimes the bills are high. Sometimes the check comes late. No one should be hungry, and this little help goes a long way.” Donations for the breakfast program can be made at a link attached to the business’s Instagram page or in person, while donations for the food pantry can be brought to 122 Western Ave. 

When asked about the significance of SNAP benefits, UMass Lowell freshman Katie Merino said, “It helps assist people of lower income, and they already have to buy basic necessities, so if it’s being withheld, then that’s another thing they have to worry about paying for.” At UMass Lowell, the UML Strive Pantry also provides supplemental assistance through the generosity of community donations. Donations can be made online or at the donation bin located outside of Suite 140 in the Graduate and Professional Studies Center. 

“Wicked: For Good” may defy expectations

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(Image courtesy of IMDB. “Themes of choice define the story of ‘Wicked: For Good’.”)

Benjamin Heffner
Connector Editor

Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2024 film “Wicked” and based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, will open in two weeks as early reviews indicate another successful award season.

Whereas “Wicked” covered Act I of the stage production, “Wicked: For Good” covers Act II and follows Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland as they embrace their new identities, Elphaba as The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda as Glinda the Good.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, alongside Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible and Jeff Goldblum as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

All the Act II songs, such as “Thank Goodness,” “As Long as You’re Mine,” and the titular “For Good” will be featured in the film, including two new songs, “Girl in the Bubble” sung by Grande, and “There’s No Place Like Home” sung by Erivo. In addition, the movie soundtrack will include “The Wicked Witch of the East,” a number that was not included in the original Broadway cast recording.

Tickets went on sale on Oct. 8 and quickly became Fandango’s biggest first-day ticket pre-sellers of 2025. Jerramy Hainline, Fandango’s EVP, said “With last year’s Wicked breaking records and captivating audiences around the world, it is no surprise that fans are racing to get their tickets to Wicked: For Good. The first film became a true cultural phenomenon bringing new generations into the world of Wicked, and it’s clear that fans can’t wait to see how the story continues on the big screen.”

At the end of the first film, audiences saw Elphaba fly off from Emerald City and the Wizard’s regime, leaving Glinda behind as all of Oz labels Elphaba as the now infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Chu describes Wicked: For Good as being all about “choices.” He said, “Who do you become when the stories you’re told, the promises you’re given, shatter in front of you? Who are you when you make a choice and you realize that choice has consequences and their hard consequences? What happens when you look at your home and it’s no longer the home that you thought it was? And that your home isn’t even built for you. At what point do you still believe in the ideas that were given to you? And can those things coexist? I think for all of us, that’s the time we’re in.”

The stories of Elphaba and Glinda will quickly turn upside down when an unexpected person arrives in Oz seeking the Wizard’s help, a young Kansas farm girl named Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto.

While Dorothy has appeared in multiple of the film trailers, Chu said that her face will not be shown, calling Dorothy a “pawn” in the Wicked universe. He said, “I didn’t want to step on who you think Dorothy is in whatever story that you came into this with. This is, after all, still Elphaba and Glinda’s journey.”

Early screening reviews for the film are positive, with critics lauding Erivo and Grande’s performances, as well as the cinematography. Variety’s Jazz Tangcay wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, “Cynthia Erivo is magnificent and get ready for Ariana Grande as she takes this performance to the next level and is a tour de force.”

Chu concludes by cautioning that the finale of Wicked: For Good contains more emotional baggage than the first film, saying, “If Part 1 is about choices, Part 2 is about consequences. Choices are difficult to make, but when you do make those choices, sometimes the result isn’t what you expect it to be.”

Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” revitalizes horror

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(Image courtesy of IMDB. “Del Toro’s adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ recontextualizes the pivotal novel.”)

Rosalie Pineda
Connector Staff

As Halloween was just around the corner, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” began its limited theater release on October 17. Since it was also slated for a Netflix release on November 7, few theaters in Massachusetts were showing it. Those who did manage to secure a seat, however, were greeted with a gorgeous interpretation of Mary Shelley’s revolutionary novel.

In this movie, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) is a cold, calculating scientist obsessed with reanimating the dead. Influenced by the death of his mother and the indifference of his father, he eventually succeeds by creating the Creature (Jacob Elordi). Constructed entirely from parts of other corpses, the Creature becomes Victor’s greatest triumph, but also his worst nightmare, as he deals with the consequences of bringing life into a world full of cruelty and conflict.

Not only is Victor suddenly thrust into a parental role, but he also has to contend with the feelings he has for his younger brother William’s (Felix Kammerer) fiancée, Elizabeth (Mia Goth). The movie takes us through both Victor’s and the Creature’s journeys as they search for meaning to their existences, and who or what truly drives them to keep living.

There are few monsters more recognized in pop culture than that of the Creature, or Frankenstein’s monster. Perhaps the most famous depiction of the monster is from “Frankenstein” (1931), played by Boris Karloff with the help of makeup artist Jack Pierce. 

While certainly iconic, those who have read Mary Shelley’s novel acknowledge that this is far from the Creature’s original appearance. The screenplay was also heavily altered from the original story. Dozens of movie adaptations have been made since then, but none so far have truly captured most of the story beats from the novel.

This also goes for Del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” Del Toro takes his own artistic liberties with the source material in a way that some Shelley fans might find reductive. At the same time, it’s clear that Del Toro loves the original work, so the changes he’s made to the narrative are especially deliberate. Instead of a one-to-one retelling, he weaves a narrative that shone a brighter light on the themes of cyclical abuse, trauma, life, and death already present in Shelley’s work. 

The visuals are where the movie truly shines. The set design is heavy with atmosphere and symbolism. Every frame was shot with careful consideration, down to the color palette. The gore also packs a punch, perhaps startling for those who may be faint of heart. There’s a balance of horror, beauty, and melancholy 

Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of the Creature is particularly moving. His appearance is especially accurate to the book, albeit his experiences living under Victor and navigating the world on his own takes a very different turn. There’s an innocence and wonder to the Creature that is very seldom seen on the big screen. When the world is cruel to him, it tugs on your heartstrings. When it is kind to him, you cheer.

This may also be a downside to this movie. The writing at times can be quite on-the-nose, with characters stating the story’s themes in a way that feels unnecessary. The Creature can also be argued to have been written too sympathetically, while Victor was portrayed as the obvious villain. As such, novel fans who favor more of a morally gray Creature may not enjoy this version of the story.

The ending is also a point of contention. Without giving too much away, the end of this movie is much more hopeful than that of the original story. It’s up to the viewer to decide whether this is for the better or worse.

Overall, Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a beautifully refreshing adaptation with stellar performances. If fans can look past the changes and enjoy it for what it has to offer, this movie truly stands on its own legs.

Grade: A-