From Hell

December 10, 2004

Rated: R Runtime: 137 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From Hell is an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Alan Moore. It is based upon the legend of the late 19th century serial killer Jack The Ripper.

From Hell

This telling of the story centers around Inspector Frederick Abberline, played by Johnny Depp. Do not expect a documentary or true story, the only thing that is definitely true here is that it is the story of several gruesome murders in the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. Abberline is an Inspector put in charge of the case. His methods are unorthodox to say the least. He’s prone to getting polluted on opium and seeing visions of the crimes.

The murder victims are prostitutes, a group of prostitutes that are friends with each other in this case. In the stereotypical movie fashion, Heather Graham plays a hooker with a heart of gold. The real star is our mysterious killer, Jack the Ripper. The murders are absolutely gruesome. He first slashes their throat wide open to prevent screams and kill them. He then cuts them up in a ritual like fashion.

If you’re looking for gore, this movie has the most I’ve seen in a while. Though in this politically correct climate we’re in, it probably still isn’t as bad as some of the classic 80’s slasher films. The psychology here is good though, they describe more than they show and give us just quick glimpses, the human brain tends to fill in the rest of the blanks with imagination. Anyone taking a small child to see this movie needs to be flogged.

The scenery matchs the mood of the movie. It’s dark and dreary. The story unfolds very well, and there are no blatent spoilers. And overall I think the Hughes Brothers did an excellent job with this film. It’s the best movie of this type I’ve seen in a long time. However, it lacks that little something magical to make it a 5 star movie, but it’s a good solid 4 stars in my book. Be warned though, this aint a feel good film, it would be a very questionable date flick.

Posted by Billy Bob | Filed Under 4 Stars, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Jason Flemyng, Johnny Depp, R, Robbie Coltrane, Theatrical, Thriller