Depraved

A tragedy as much as a horror film, Depraved is a contemporary love letter to Mary Shelly's legacy

At nearly two hours, Depraved can feel a little long in the tooth... Then again, the performances here are a little too strong for Fessenden's film to be anything other than a treat for fans of independent horror.

A heartfelt, deftly mature 21st-century reimagining of author Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, indie auteur Larry Fessenden's Depraved is a movingly emotional monster movie that packs a pretty mean punch.

Depraved may not take you anywhere that you haven't been before, but it might leave you with a renewed appreciation for Shelley's mythic story.

"Depraved" is smart in its commentary on everything from the evils of the pharmaceuticals industry to the terrors of PTSD, but there's real heart and empathy here too.

[A] film that is serious but not pretentious, working best when it stays in the laboratory. It will be welcomed by the director's fans, and may expand that number somewhat in its limited theatrical release.

Depraved is an aggressively ambitious modern take on the Frankenstein story, one with a disarmingly empathetic view towards the creature at its core.

I went into it not realizing that I was watching a Frankenstein remake. I figured it out quickly, but writer, director and horror acting legend Larry Fessenden makes the story fresh and disorienting from the beginning.

Stylish Frankenstein treatment with social themes and complex characters, from the mind of horror maestro Larry Fessenden.

Fessenden's films are rich with social commentary and subtext. Depraved examines the nature of identity, memory, point of view and love in our modern world.