Solving a series of shocking killings in Victorian East London
In the Limehouse district, 1880, a woman (Olivia Cooke) faces execution for allegedly poisoning her husband (Sam Reid), but a Scotland Yard inspector (Bill Nighy) has increasing compassion on her as he seeks to solve the local serial slayings. Daniel Mays is on hand as his sidekick constable.
Based on the 1994 novel, “The Limehouse Golem” (2016) is a Victorian murder mystery set in the heart of London. It’s basically a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper flicks, as well as Jekyll & Hyde, such as "From Hell,” “Jack the Ripper” (1976), “Edge of Sanity” and "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll." If you're in the mood for a Victorian milieu, black coats, cobblestone streets, gas lamps, horse-driven carriages, alluring women, music hall entertainment, ghastly killings and effective mystery, you can’t go wrong.
While winsome Olivia is first-rate as the female protagonist, María Valverde beats her out on the beauty front as Music Hall entertainer Aveline. While her character isn’t very likable, the director doesn’t fail to capture her physical exquisiteness.
As for the unexpected bit appearance of Karl Marx: Yes, he practically lived in the British Library from 1849 through to his passing in 1883.
People complain about the ending being “predictable,” but the film effectively entertains several possibilities concerning the identity of the slayer and commits to ONE at the end. Would these critics prefer an unsolved mystery? If any of the other possibilities were picked, would they be satisfied?
The movie runs 1 hour, 48 minutes, and was shot in West Yorkshire with filming taking place in locations like Leeds and Keighley, as well as the library at University of Manchester with exterior shots of the British Museum in London.
GRADE: B+/A-
