JEKYLL & HYDE ** UK 2021 Dir: Steve Lawson. 85 mins
Another tale as old as time which has had more adaptations than I’ve had hot dinners. This technically competent go around sees Lawyer Gabriel Utterson launch a personal investigation when his good friend Dr Henry Jekyll is accused of a terrible crime. Surprisingly, the ending may not be what you expect.
If you enjoy watching films on digital TV channels on Sunday afternoons or Channel 5 adaptations of classic novels, then you’re likely the ideal audience for this stuffy, old-fashioned re-tread of the famous story.
Everything from the locations, to the acting to the costumes looks and feels professional but it’s more of a drama than a horror movie.
I can’t blame the filmmakers for trying to entice an audience to watch, but it has more in common with an episode of Father Brown than you’d expect. If this was a bit more akin to ‘From Hell’ or ‘The Limehouse Golem’ in style and tone then I would have enjoyed it far more. Too polished and not gritty enough for my liking.
Review by Phil Davies Brown
JEKYLL & HYDE is available on Amazon