“This is a work of fantasy but to fantasize is to be human.” This quote is placed at the beginning of Creature, a passion project brought to life by writer-director Cagan Irmak, now available on Netflix. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Irmak reimagines the monster resurrection concept without sticking to closely to the original plot points, crafting a narrative that jumps back and forth between two separate timelines – the past, with Ziya’s rise in medical experimentation, and the present, with the titular creature rescuing a dying man. It makes for a historical drama that may not be as horrific as the original, but is no less intriguing in its themes.
When tragedy befalls a reckless scientist in Ottoman-era Istanbul, his student uses untested methods to finish his work — with devastating consequences.
When tragedy strikes down an eccentric scientist in early 1900s Istanbul, his ambitious student Ziya continues his research through forbidden methods found in a book about resurrection. The results of his experiment lead to devastating consequences.
While inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Cagan Irmak’s Creature doesn’t feel like a terrifying horror series. Granted, the original concept of the modern Prometheus leans more towards science fiction, but this show doesn’t even feel like it can be classified as part of that futuristic genre. Instead, the limited series feels more like a period drama with its updated setting. Replacing the setting of Ingolstadt in the early 1800s is Istanbul a century later, on the last legs of the Ottoman Empire. In doing so, Cagan Irmak interweaves thematic threads of the original novel, such as defying nature, reckoning with a creator, and life and death, with the overall worries and concerns Istanbul had at the turn of the century. It makes for an intriguing drama, especially with the revelation of who the titular creature used to be.
Horror is different now. Frankenstein is a horror icon, but pulling the same concept now doesn’t feel as scary as the other horror stories today. Anyways, expect this to be more of a period piece with some fantastical elements, rather than pure horror or sci-fi.
