Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster

When it comes to legends of cinema, few come as highly revered as Boris Karloff, whose portrayal of The Monster in James Whale’s Frankenstein has remained indelibly ingrained in popular culture close to a century after it first chilled audiences in 1931. Shudder documentary Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster is a loving tribute to the horror icon that traces his life and career from his childhood to his final performances. It’s essentially a snappy crash course on the defining points of his work as an actor, and, despite a scatterbrained structure, the documentary is a compelling insight into what made Karloff a spectacular actor.

Comprised of a combination of archive footage, recordings and interviews with family, colleagues and celebrity admirers, The Man Behind the Monster (directed and co-written by Thomas Hamilton) plays out like any other documentary special that’s came before it. Awful backdrops that accompany some interviews even give the project a tacky look at times. However, the limited production matters little when it comes to what’s being said. Hearing the likes of Joe Dante, Roger Corman and Guillermo del Toro gush over the fine details of Karloff’s various performances over his career is like listening to excited children. The passion and devoted admiration each interviewee expresses towards the actor is infectious. The flick is as much a masterclass on the subject’s acting ability as it is about his life, and regardless of how familiar viewers are with their filmography, they’re bound to discover something new here.

Covering a career that’s spanned cinema, theatre and television, there’s a lot packed into a short runtime. The film ticks by at a steady and efficient pace that covers everything it needs to about one performance before moving onto the next. The only real issue with this flick is it’s muddled structure. The script has a nasty habit of jumping backwards and forwards between the years, which makes keeping track of the chronology more challenging than it needs to be. Likewise, there’s no endpoint or overarching statement tying things together; the ending just happens and then it’s over.

The Man Behind the Monster is an engaging, though slightly unpolished, tribute to one of Hollywood’s most iconic and cherished actors. Despite its shortcomings, audiences will come away with a newfound appreciation for Karloff. 

Andrew Murray

Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster is released on 27^th January 2022.

Watch the trailer for Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster here: