I read Mary Shelley’s original version around two years ago, and the obsession began. I annotated my copy front to back, watched several film adaptations and took a “Frankenstein”-based writing class. In that course alone, I read two more versions of the story and watched three more adaptations. My deep dive over the years really changed my mind about classics — I was never super interested in them before I read Shelley’s. As a “Frankenstein” enthusiast, I was ecstatic to hear Netflix was releasing a film adaptation. When I watched Guillermo del Toro’s take on the classic, the creative differences between the book and the film surprised me. Here’s my rundown of the movie.

While director Denis Villeneuve attempts to balance the drama of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novel with the flair expected of a box office hit, the film’s dialogue and stiff performances leave something to be desired.

Dear Terry George fans, don’t get your hopes up too soon. The acclaimed “Hotel Rwanda” director’s attempt at portraying the Armenian Genocide in his new epic, “The Promise,” starring Oscar...