A young neurosurgeon inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback, a pretty lab assistant and the elderly housekeeper. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather was delusional, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.

After years of separation, Irina (Nastassja Kinski) and her minister brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell), reunite in New Orleans in this erotic tale of the supernatural. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irina is drawn to the cat — and the zoo curator (John Heard) is drawn to her. Soon, Irina’s brother will have to reveal the family secret: that when sexually aroused, they turn into predatory jungle cats.