Part detective story, part thriller, part romance, From Hell manages to juggle each aspect with aplomb.
From Hell (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:145
Fresh:84
Rotten:61
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Visually impressive, but this latest Ripper tale is dull and far from scary.
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
US Box Office: $30,692,411
Synopsis: FROM HELL is a gory detective film cloaked in Victorian-era mystique. The movie shows how the serial killer Jack the Ripper stalked the dark streets of 1888 London, slaying prostitutes and crudely... FROM HELL is a gory detective film cloaked in Victorian-era mystique. The movie shows how the serial killer Jack the Ripper stalked the dark streets of 1888 London, slaying prostitutes and crudely dissecting their bodies. Based on the graphic novel written by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, this moody chiller is directed by twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes (MENACE II SOCIETY, AMERICAN PIMP). Johnny Depp stars as Inspector Frederick Abberline, who smokes heavy doses of opium and drowns himself in absinthe to evoke hallucinatory visions that are his clues to catching the Ripper. Heather Graham costars as the prettiest of the floozies, who wins the muted affections of the Inspector. With plenty of atmosphere and spooky effects, FROM HELL borrows scenery, filming tricks, and sequence construction from a host of popular movies, resulting in a visually interesting--if inconsistent--style. Haunting nighttime shots of the London skyline (actually Prague) bleed into shadowy Tim Burton-like prowls through the damp cobblestone streets; aerial camerawork contrasts with crowded ground-level focuses; and the camera peeks around corners and into foggy windows with stealthy curiosity. What may stand out most in viewers minds after the carnage is through, is the exaggerated use of surround sound, which brings a dreadful sense of reality to the film's gore, making FROM HELL all the juicier. [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Flemyng, Lesley Sharp, Susan Lynch, Terence Harvey, Katrin Cartlidge, Paul Rhys, Ian Richardson
Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
Screenwriter: Terry Hayes, Rafael Yglesias
Producer: Don Murphy, Jane Hamsher
Composer: Trevor Jones
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for From Hell
Literate and entertaining, From Hell should help erase the memory of the more dismal slasher movies of the past.
The paper-thin plot is fruitlessly camouflaged by a deluge of camera tricks that would make even Oliver Stone blush, and the movie itself buckles under the pressure.
It is far more complex and sophisticated than a hack-for-the-fun-of-it kind of film.
The Hughes boys blow it by burying a fine cast ... in stock scares, sappy romance and cliches that really are from hell.
The only thrill, if you can call it that, is waiting to see who gets sliced up next.
Offers a fairly conscientious revision of the always sensationalist case of Jack the Ripper.
That a Marilyn Manson song plays over the end credits should clue you in to the sort of hip, faux-Fincher ambience for which From Hell strives.
a powerful horror thriller, visually evocative and full of dread and foreboding
A creepy, moody, slow-paced film that adds no new angles to this well-worn legend.
Plays as primarily an academic exercise, engaging the eyes, ears and intellect, but not the heart.
It is tempting to call the film is a case of style over substance, but to say that is to deny the substance in the style.
From Hell knows how to show us what we want without dodging the moral implications of looking: a fiendish case of having one's cake and eating it too.
The film's success comes from the powerful performances from the supporting actors and the beauty of the Grand Guignol atmosphere.
It has the lush decrepitude of an autumn compost heap or an old Hammer werewolf flick.
Film fans expecting a deep, rich story about Jack the Ripper will likely come away disappointed.
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