Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)

In the heart of WWII, the pulsating heart of Frankenstein's monster is snatched from the clutches of Dr. Frankenstein himself, embarking on a clandestine journey from Europe to Japan aboard a covert U-boat. The heart, imbued with an eerie immortality, falls victim to the cataclysmic radiation of Hiroshima's atomic bombing, inciting a monstrous metamorphosis. It evolves, growing not just in size, but in complexity, sprouting appendages and ultimately, forming a grotesque, full-bodied creature that escapes the confines of its Japanese laboratory. Years later, the tranquil countryside near Mount Fuji trembles under mysterious disturbances. A disfigured wild boy, marked by his large, flat-topped head, is discovered pilfering livestock and devouring a school's pet rabbit. Scientists, Drs. Bowen and Togami, dub him Frankenstein, keeping him under stringent surveillance. The boy's abnormal growth rate bamboozles his captors, and he soon gnaws off his own hand to escape, leaving the disembodied appendage to skitter around until its unfortunate demise from malnutrition. As Frankenstein's colossal figure begins to wreak havoc, he is wrongfully accused of the destruction unleashed on the serene Japanese countryside. Meanwhile, Akira Takarada, a local resident, swears to have seen another beast, a reptilian monstrosity, at the scene of the disaster. As the country trembles under the fierce onslaught of the mysterious reptilian creature, it's not long before the paths of the two behemoths cross. The stage is set for a cataclysmic face-off, pitting Frankenstein against the reptilian terror in a battle that will shake the very foundations of the world.

Frankenstein Conquers the World is a horror movie featuring Tadao Takashima and directed by Ishirō Honda.

Frankenstein Conquers the World is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.