Recreating Mary Shelley’s Canon: Creature as the Authentic Turkish Frankenstein

Abstract

Released in October 2023 on Netflix, Cagan Irmak’s Creature is a miniseries that presents an unusual Turkish adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). Set in late-nineteenth-century Istanbul, in the Ottoman Empire, the story follows Ziya, a young medical student driven to push the boundaries of science to revive the dead. After witnessing the death of his professor Ihsan, Ziya becomes obsessed with bringing him back to life. He ultimately succeeds, but not in the way he anticipates. The resurrection of Ihasan leads to the creation of a monster, marking a new and unexpected beginning.