In Victorian era London, a sadistic killer is on the loose. Dubbed The Limehouse Golem by the press and terrifying the populace, it is up to Inspector Kildare (Bill Nighy) to solve the case. At the same time, former music hall performer, Elizabeth Cree (Olivia Cooke), goes on trial for the murder of her husband. Kildare believes the crimes are linked and that Elizabeth is innocent, but can he prove it before it is too late?
There may seem little to compare with the last film that I saw and reviewed, Stratton, but it suffers from the same problem. The source material, a novel by Peter Ackroyd, appears to be a multi layered story involving poverty, philosophy, the prominence of Jews in society, and attitudes to homosexuality. Screenwriter Jane Goldman, who hasn’t exactly got a good track record, tries too hard to cram all the elements in, with the consequence the story lacks coherence, especially in the early stages.
Trying to do too much isn’t the worst crime when it comes to film making and there is still plenty to enjoy. The grimy, sleazy but rich world the characters inhabit is evocatively brought to life by director Juan Carlos Medina. The procedural elements of the investigation are well handled with the relationship between Kildare and his sergeant (Daniel Mays) being particularly interesting. Both actors are great and I would love to see the characters return for another case, Jack the Ripper perhaps!? As always, it is also a great to see Eddie Marian in the supporting cast.
The final reveal, after the majority of the other suspects, who are all actual famous people of the era for reasons that aren’t clear, does not come as a surprise. This is worth seeing for the atmospheric evocation of the less salubrious parts of London at the time, and for Nighy in particular.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10