While Soberano might be a relative unknown here in the States, the Filipina actress who plays Lisa’s stepsister Taffy is a massive star in the Philippines. At the 2018 Box Office Entertainment Awards, she was declared the “Box Office Queen” and was named one of the “TV Queens at the Turn of the Millennium” by the PMPC Star Awards for Television. Soberano is an international treasure with an impressive resume in comedy, drama, and romance, but the genre romp “Lisa Frankenstein” is her big Hollywood breakthrough. It’s fascinating that of all the films she could have chosen, “Lisa Frankenstein” is the hot-pink laboratory she wanted to experiment in, and we horror fans should consider ourselves so lucky that she did. “Lisa Frankenstein” feels like it’s in conversation with “Jennifer’s Body” in regard to how Jennifer and Taffy are both presented, with the latter feeling like a bit of vindication and validation for the true heart of the former.
Not only is Soberano the sweet, empathetic center of Zelda Williams and Diablo Cody’s film, but she’s also playing a complete subversion of what is expected of cheerleader characters. Is Taffy a perfect stepsister? Of course not, but what teenage girl is perfect? Instead, we have a deeply complex and layered character with sincere intentions and a genuine desire to help and affirm her new sister despite their differences. It’s in the film’s third act, however, where Soberano really lets her acting chops shine. She spends the majority of the movie with a “Drop Dead Gorgeous” meets “Valley Girl” glow of positivity, only to turn into a blood-soaked ball of dissociative trauma, and unleashes one hell of an impressive scream.
If studios were smart, they’d give Soberano a similar career as Jenna Ortega and let her be the scream queen she’s more than capable of being.
We spoke more about Soberano’s excellent work in “Lisa Frankenstein” on today’s episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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