What actually happens
Mary Shelley has notes
On a stormy night in a castle, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron compliment Mary Shelley on writing about Frankenstein and the creature he made. She says the point was a moral warning about a man who plays God, and that the story isn't finished yet. The tale then resumes at the burning windmill, where villagers are celebrating the Monster's apparent death. Hans, whose daughter was drowned by the Monster, wants to see the remains and falls into a flooded pit under the mill. The Monster survived the fire, and he strangles Hans there, then throws Hans' wife to her death. This is the scene to brace for, and it happens right away. He then runs into Minnie, Frankenstein's servant, who flees.
Reading this instead of watching it is the correct decision. Scaredy Cat makes that decision automatic, for free.
A mentor with a hobby
Henry's body, believed lost at the windmill, is carried home to his fiancée Elizabeth. Minnie arrives to warn everyone about the Monster, and nobody listens. Elizabeth sees Henry move and realizes he is alive, and she nurses him back to health. Henry says he is finished with his creation, though he still suspects he may be meant to discover the secret of life. Elizabeth, hysterical, says she can see death coming. Henry then visits his former mentor, Doctor Septimus Pretorius, whose lab holds several homunculi he has created. Pretorius wants to make a mate for the Monster, with Pretorius growing an artificial brain and Henry collecting the body parts.
Dinner with the hermit
In the meantime the Monster pulls a young shepherdess out of the water, but her screams bring two hunters, who shoot and wound him. A mob captures him, ties him to a pole and chains him in a dungeon, and he snaps the chains, beats the guards and runs off into the woods. That night he meets a blind old hermit, who is grateful to God for sending him company, teaches him a few words, including friend and good, and feeds him dinner. Two lost hunters find the cottage and recognize the Monster, who attacks them and accidentally burns the cottage down as they lead the hermit away. Hiding from another mob in a crypt, the Monster watches Pretorius and his henchmen Karl and Ludwig break open a grave. After the henchmen leave, he joins Pretorius for supper and learns about the plan to build him a mate.
Lightning, as scheduled
Henry and Elizabeth are now married when Pretorius visits. Henry refuses to help, so Pretorius calls in the Monster, who demands Henry's cooperation and gets nowhere. Pretorius sends the Monster away, secretly signaling him to kidnap Elizabeth, and promises her safe return if Henry takes part. Henry goes back to his tower laboratory and, despite himself, gets excited about the work. Once he is assured that Elizabeth is safe, he finishes the Bride's body. During a storm her bandaged body is raised through the roof so that lightning can power it. Henry and Pretorius lower her, see that it worked, remove the bandages and help her stand.
The ending, explained
The Monster has just killed Karl on the rooftop, and he comes downstairs to find the Bride. He reaches out and asks if she is a friend, and she screams and rejects him. He says she hates him just like everyone else. Elizabeth runs to Henry's side while the Monster storms through the lab, but he stops before wrecking it to tell Henry and Elizabeth to leave and live. He tells Pretorius and the Bride to stay, because they belong dead. The Bride hisses at him, and the Monster, with a tear on his face, pulls a lever that destroys the laboratory and tower. Henry and Elizabeth get out.
The post-credits ruling
Nobody has confirmed either way whether there is a scene after the credits.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: fine, no dog dies.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is Bride of Frankenstein scary?
Barely. Bride of Frankenstein is a 2 out of 10 with low dread, built on gothic atmosphere, mobs and storms, with a couple of violent moments near the start.
How does Bride of Frankenstein end?
The Bride rejects the Monster, and he lets Henry and Elizabeth leave. He tells Pretorius and the Bride to stay, then pulls a lever that destroys the laboratory and tower.
Does the dog die in Bride of Frankenstein?
No dog dies in Bride of Frankenstein, and no other animal is harmed either.
Is there a post-credits scene in Bride of Frankenstein?
Nobody has confirmed either way whether Bride of Frankenstein has a scene after the credits.
Who is the Bride in Bride of Frankenstein?
The Bride is the mate that Henry Frankenstein and Doctor Pretorius build for the Monster. She comes to life in a lightning storm, and when she meets the Monster she screams and rejects him.
