Mary Shelley’s ‘hideous progeny:’ readaptation and (textual) deformity in two recent Frankenstein films

Abstract

In this article, I discuss two recent films, Frankenstein (Kevin Connor 2004) and Victor Frankenstein (Paul McGuigan 2015), in terms of how they represent disability for mainstream television and cinema spectators. Using a critical framework that blends disability and adaptation studies, I analyse both films from a ‘crip’ perspective – that is, by interpreting how they propagate or resist the able-bodied assumptions upon which many Frankenstein narratives are based. As screen readaptations, I explore how Connor’s Frankenstein and Victor Frankenstein reflexively engage with this historical legacy, whilst providing textually ‘deformed’ versions of the story for contemporary audiences.