The first reactions to writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! are coming in, and they seem to agree overwhelmingly. The movie premiered at the Empire Leicester Square in London, England, on February 26, 2026. Its cast includes Jessie Buckley as Ida / The Bride / Mary Shelley, Christian Bale as Frank, Jake Gyllenhaal as Ronnie Reed, Annette Bening as Dr. Euphronious, Penélope Cruz as Myrna, and Peter Sarsgaard.
The Bride! garners largely positive first reactions
The gothic romance, which pulls inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein (itself based on the 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley), has drawn mostly positive early reactions after its premiere.
Film journalist Kristen Lopez noted that The Bride! is “wild” and “audacious,” and “dgaf if you like it.” Lopez added, “Buckley and Bale thrill in a movie that feels like what Joker: Folie à Deux desperately wished it was. Gyllenhaal’s script has a lot of threads it doesn’t weave in perfectly.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s #TheBride is wild, audacious, & dgaf if you like it. Buckley & Bale thrill in a movie that feels like what JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX desperately wished it was. Gyllenhaal’s script has a lot of threads it doesn’t weave in perfectly. unlike anything out there. pic.twitter.com/EtQCaUe1NJ
— Kristen Lopez (@kristenklopez) February 26, 2026
Meanwhile, BJ Colangelo of This Ends At Prom Podcast observed that Gyllenhaal and Buckley built The Bride! inside a laboratory “to give me the movie of my dreams.” Colangelo continued, “A shrieking, brazen journey of an ungovernable woman and a man who wants her to burn it all down if it means feeling her warmth. I loved every second of it.”
Another film journalist, Erik Davis, wrote that the movie “Swings big — ferocious, funny, chaotic, romantic and fueled by another knockout Jessie Buckley performance.” Davis went on to call The Bride! “a love letter to classic moviegoing wrapped inside a bold, modern monster movie.”
The Mary Sue’s Rachel Leishman also hailed the feature as a love letter to storytelling. movies, science fiction, and more.
THE BRIDE is a love letter to storytelling, science fiction, movies, and so much more. A breathtaking look at Frankenstein and his love and a truly brilliant performance from both Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. Maggie Gyllenhaal made something so special. ? pic.twitter.com/S6SLGf4VlM
— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) February 26, 2026
Moreover, Amy West of GamesRadar+ claimed that The Bride! is one of the most “electric” movies she had seen in a while. Elsewhere, Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky called the movie “a true work of art.”
Adored #TheBride. One of the most electric movies I’ve seen in a while ⚡️ Funny, brutal, SO visually interesting and just… fucking cool. Jessie Buckley (wild, sensational) + Christian Bale (goofy, great) leave it all on the inky floor ? Maggie Gyllenhaal is the real deal!!!!
— Amy West (@amywestyy) February 26, 2026
Additionally, The Nerdist stated that The Bride! has been “clearly made by someone who loves movies.” They also lauded Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale’s performances.
The Bride! debuts in US theaters on March 6, 2026. As that date approaches, viewers will have a better understanding of the critical consensus on the movie.