Gods and Monsters

Gods and Monsters is set in 1957 and centres on James Whale, the British-born director once known for Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. Now retired and living largely out of public view in California, Whale spends his time painting and recalling his past. His household is run by his housekeeper, Hanna, and his days are quiet until she hires a new gardener, Clayton Boone. The two men come from very different worlds, but an unexpected friendship forms between the older, sharp-witted director and the younger worker, and it changes how each of them sees his own life.

Bill Condon wrote and directed the film, which followed his 1995 picture Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. Ian McKellen plays Whale, with Brendan Fraser as Clayton Boone and Lynn Redgrave as Hanna; David Dukes, Lolita Davidovich and Kevin J. O'Connor also appear. The film was made for about 10 million US dollars and took roughly 6 million worldwide, so it did not recover its cost at the box office. On IMDb it holds 7.3 out of 10 from around 34,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.9 from a much smaller pool of 406. Critics rated it considerably higher, 8.6 out of 10 from 70 reviews, placing it well above both audience scores.