From Hell (2001)
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57% of critics liked it
(150 reviews) -
70% of users liked it
(180,605 ratings)
The true-life horror story of Jack the Ripper gets a new spin in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation… More The true-life horror story of Jack the Ripper gets a new spin in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane). Abberline, depending on one's viewpoint, is either blessed or cursed with second sight, and while he blurs his ability to see future events with opium and other drugs, he still has an uncanny ability to ferret out dangerous criminals, which is put to the test as he and Godley search for the Ripper. As Abberline and Godley investigate the neighborhood where the crimes occur, they become acquainted with the prostitutes and street people who were friends and compatriots of the victims, and Abberline finds himself falling in love with Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), a beautiful Irish streetwalker. As Abberline tries to identify the killer before Mary Kelly can become the next victim, he and Godley have to contend with Sir Charles Warren (Ian Richardson), their superior who is keen to pin the murders on a culprit who isn't British, and Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), a respected physician who has his own ideas about the murders and the benefits of psychosurgery. From Hell marked a change of pace for Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes, the sibling directorial team best known for their gritty depictions of America's urban underground in such films as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
- Written By
- Terry Hayes, Rafael Yglesias
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Horror
- In Theaters
- Oct 19, 2001 Wide
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox
Critic Reviews
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Derek Elley, Variety
Anyone expecting the combo of Allen and Albert Hughes and the famed Victorian serial-killer to result in a gritty, stygian, skin-crawling horror movie will be severely disappointed
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Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
This wry, atmospheric procedural spawned by a real mystery would be thorny enough without also being an adaptation.
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, Time Out
Fitfully arresting late night entertainment.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
The Hughes boys blow it by burying a fine cast ... in stock scares, sappy romance and cliches that really are from hell.
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Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
The only thrill, if you can call it that, is waiting to see who gets sliced up next.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Johnny Depp
as Inspector Frederick George Abberline
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Heather Graham
as Mary Kelly
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Ian Holm
as Sir William Gull
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Robbie Coltrane
as Sgt. Peter Godley
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Ian Richardson
as Sir Charles Warren
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Jason Flemyng
as Netley
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Katrin Cartlidge
as "Dark Annie" Chapman
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Terence Harvey
as Ben Kidney
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Susan Lynch
as Liz Stride
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Lesley Sharp
as Kate Eddowes
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Annabelle Apsion
as Polly
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Mark Dexter
as Albert Sickert/Prince Edward



