From Hell – Rating 3 out of 5

"It is 1888 in London, and the unfortunate poor lead horrifying lives in the city’s deadliest slum, Whitechapel. Harassed by gangs and forced to walk the streets for a living, Mary Kelly and her small group of companions trudge on through this daily misery, their only consolation being that things can’t get any worse. Yet things somehow do when their friend Ann is kidnapped and they are drawn into a conspiracy with links higher up than they could possibly imagine. The kidnapping is soon followed by the gruesome murder of another woman, Polly, and it becomes apparent that they are being hunted down, one by one. Sinister even by Whitechapel standards, the murder grabs the attention of Inspector Fred Abberline, a brilliant yet troubled man whose police work is often aided by his psychic abilities. Abberline becomes deeply involved with the case, which takes on personal meaning to him when he and Mary begin to fall in love. But as he gets closer to the truth Whitechapel becomes more and more dangerous for Abberline, Mary, and the other girls. Whoever is responsible for the grisly acts is not going to give up his secret without a fight….will they be able to survive the avenging force that has been sent after them from hell?"

A dark tale of a cover-up regarding an illegitimate marriage and a royal scandal that all centers around a group of prostitutes who are witness to the deeds. And who do you get to come to your aid when you are high society and want to keep things discreet? That’s right, the Mason’s.

An interesting theory on the murders of Jack the Ripper. Johnny Depp plays Inspector Abberline who spends a great deal of the movie in the opium dens and drinking Absinthe. Perhaps he’s looking for clues in the spirit world…

Some gruesome scenes and some interesting medical practices going on during this time in history. Abberline tries to get to the bottom of the murders while others are simply trying to wash them away. Abberline is still trying to do his job even though the victims are just prostitutes. And though his closeness be begins to fall for Mary and wants to get her out of this life and keep her away from the Ripper.

It’s a fitting atmosphere for the film, being dark and dirty as Whitechapel would have been. Is the film conjecture or does it have any root in the facts? It’s hard to say, but it certainly makes for an interesting story. It’s dark and it’s dirty and it kinda bloody, but overall it’s probably one you’ll watch more than once.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Whitechapel Series 1
• Ripper Street – I Need Light – S01E01
• Whitechapel Season 2
• Whitechapel Season 3
• Bloodstains – Jeff Mudgett
• Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein (1994) – Rating 4 out of 5
• Deer Woman – Masters of Horror – Rating 4 out of 5
• Reincarnation – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Paranormal Incident
• Jack the Ripper Documentary