The Limehouse Golem

The Limehouse Golem is an intriguing and disturbing crime thriller. Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, and Douglas Booth star in this sorted tale of a Scotland Yard inspector who comes to believe that a woman accused of poisoning her husband is the key to solving the case of a serial killer known as the Limehouse Golem. Cooke gives an outstanding performance, playing many different roles, house wife, stage performer, street urchin, as she tells her story to the inspector. And Nighy too is quite good, bringing a certain gravitas to his character. Also, the writers do an impressive job at creating mystery and suspense as the investigation unfolds and new suspects come to light. However, it can get a bit graphic and lurid at times. Yet despite a few weaknesses, The Limehouse Golem is a chilling psychological drama.

I wanted to like the film more - the prospect of Bill Nighy up against a Victorian serial killer excited me - but sadly, the film was less than the sum of its parts. Visually evocative of the era, but the story didn't hold up. Gets better towards the end, especially with the unveiling of the Golem, but patience is required getting there.