Jacob Elordi uses Japanese Butoh dance to play Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

Jacob Elordi revealed that he studied thebutoh, a Japanese dance form known for slow movements and intense expressions related to death and reanimation, to prepare for her performance as the Criatura in the filmFrankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The Australian actor highlighted this influence during promotional interviews for the film, available on Netflix since November 2025. The production adapts the classic by Mary Shelley and features Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Mia Goth in the cast.

The film received Golden Globe nominations, including best supporting actor for Elordi, who spent hours a day in makeup to transform into the character. Del Toro, the Oscar-winning Mexican director, described the project as a long-time dream, focusing on themes of creation, isolation and humanity.

This bodily approach allowed Elordi to explore Criatura’s initial vulnerability and innocence, contrasting with her evolution throughout the narrative. Butoh, with its emphasis on internal states and transformations, perfectly aligned with the idea of ​​a recomposed being seeking identity.

Post-war origins of butoh

Butoh emerged in the Japão at the end of the 1950s, in a context of reconstruction after the Segunda Guerra Mundial. Artistas sought forms of expression that broke with dominant Western traditions and classic Japanese styles, such as kabuki and noh. Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno founded this artistic language, marked by questions about the body and society.

The first significant performance took place in 1959, with the workKinjiki, inspired by contemporary literature and taboo themes. Hijikata emphasized darkness and anguish, while Ohno brought more lyrical and spiritual elements. Essa duality defined butoh as a dance that explores the unconscious and human fragility.

Initial performances shocked the public by rejecting codified steps, prioritizing internal impulses and poetic images.

Main characteristics of the dance

Butoh is distinguished by hypercontrolled movements, often slow and contorted, that evoke states between life and death. Performers often use white makeup on their bodies, creating ghostly figures, and explore partial or total nudity to emphasize vulnerability.

• Movements based on physical sensations and memories, without fixed choreographies.
• Use of intense facial expressions, such as rolled eyes or open mouths.
• Themes of metamorphosis, grotesqueness and connection with the primal.
• Influences from German expressionism and European surrealism.

This aesthetic allows the performer to access deep layers of the human condition, making butoh a valuable tool for actors in complex roles.

Influence on current cinema

Jacob Elordi described butoh as “corpse reanimation”, ideal for incorporating Criatura recomposed from body parts. Ele trained this technique to develop hesitant gestures and expressions that convey innocence and pain. The actor mentioned that the practice helped him get into the prosthetic body, with hours of daily application.

Guillermo del Críticos highlighted Elordi’s performance as the highlight of the production, which received praise for its fidelity to Shelley’s novel.

Other actors have used similar elements in physical transformation roles, but Elordi adapted butoh specifically to explore Criatura’s journey from naivety to anger.

Physical preparation of Elordi

Elordi dedicated intense weeks to preparation, combining butoh with observations of animal and child movement to capture Criatura’s discovery of the world. Ele practiced gestures in the mirror, focusing on slowness and extreme control. The makeup, with dozens of prosthetic pieces, required patience, but allowed the performance to begin right in the trailer.

The actor lost weight in a previous project and rebuilt his physique for the role, emphasizing height and imposing presence. Del Toro redesigned Criatura’s look after Elordi joined the cast, replacing Andrew Garfield due to scheduling conflicts.

This dedication resulted in a performance that critics called “beautiful and tragic”, highlighting expressive eyes under the makeup.

Visual elements in butoh

Traditional Butoh performances include bodies painted white, shaved heads in some cases, and minimalist or absurd sets. Movimentos evoke decadence or ecstasy, with a focus on the nonverbal.

• Contorted figures that defy gravity and normality.
• Integration of silence or ambient sounds to intensify presence.
• Exploration of taboos such as sexuality and mortality.
• Contemporary adaptation at international festivals and companies such as Sankai Juku.

In the cinematic context, these elements translate into unique physicality, as seen in the transformation of Elordi.

Butoh’s international legacy

Since the 1980s, butoh has expanded globally, with performances at Europa and América. Companhias Japanese women toured festivals, influencing contemporary dance and performance art. No Brasil, artists such as Takao Kusuno have introduced the practice since the 1970s.

Today, butoh inspires hybrid creations, maintaining an experimental essence. Sua application in cinema, as in the case of Elordi, demonstrates versatility for narratives of identity and rebirth.

The filmFrankensteinreinforces this connection, uniting Japanese tradition with Western literary classics.

Repercussion of the performance

Elordi’s performance generated award nominations and praise for humanizing Criatura. Revistas experts highlighted how butoh brought emotional depth, differentiating it from the classic version of Boris Karloff. Del Toro and the actor discussed the process in interviews, emphasizing personal and artistic metamorphosis.

The film, with a lyrical soundtrack and gothic visuals, is positioned as a modern adaptation faithful to the spirit of Shelley. The choice of butoh adds a unique cultural layer to the production.