The Limehouse Golem (2016)

The Limehouse Golem is a hugely atmospheric, gothic murder mystery. It is visually stunning, blood thirsty and enthralling. I enjoyed from start to finish, even if I couldn't always follow the plot at times. This is a film I think I will enjoy much more on subsequent viewings as I'll be able to take more in, and discover the small details I missed first time round. Stunning sets, glorious costumes, it really is a visual treat, they managed to capture the spirit of the Ripper's London. It felt like a film version of Ripper Street meets Sherlock. Fabulous performances, Billy Nighy, Olivia Cooke and Sam Reid all excellent, but the star of the show had to be Douglas Booth, who was simply tremendous.

Deserving of a higher rating here, and a higher status, this is a quality film. 7/10

Fmovies: A mash up of Se7en and The Elephant Man, this one is stylish but over long and relentlessly grim.

With a nod to the Jack the Ripper murders this one is set in London's underclass Limehouse, where Inspector under a cloud Nighy arrives to investigate the succession of "Golem" slasher murders. Suspects include comedian Dan Leno and a bushy bearded Karl Marx. Nighy's investigation gets involved with hard working actress wife Olivia Cooke's trial for poisoning her husband.

Alternating between the British Museum and Leno's tacky music hall attention shifts to Cooke's back story with lots of oppression of women, class warfare, homoerotic suspicions, opium dens and politicking at the Yard.

Cast and design are superior but this one is not a fun outing.

There was so much good going on in this movie it's just a shame the big reveal, and they do make a meal out of it, was meant to be such a shock, when really you knew from the very beginning..

Which is really annoying because if they had thought just a little bit more, just a little bit more subtlety this would be pretty good. unfortunately the only people who will be surprised at who the killer is are people who have never watched any other movie ever. Then it will be surprising, for the rest, it really is painful to watch as the movie dances around the obvious.

Again, everything else was good, the setting and the way it played out like a play while everyone was literally playacting was nice and different to other movies. worth a watch, just don't expect to be surprised.

The Limehouse Golem fmovies. I really loved this film. Right from the beginning, the music hall feel of the unfolding drama was very engaging. Intelligent editing and the fabulous script kept the pace of the plot at a rate which held my interest from start to finish as each twist and turn was revealed. John Kildare (Bill Nighy) was the methodical, steady influence which balanced the emotional excesses of the other characters. He only showed emotion when confronted with the inevitability of the fate of the intelligent and articulate Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke). The film used dramatic devices to great effect, showing several characters actually committing the awful crimes as each became suspect. The interleaving of the music hall version of the Lizzie Cree story with the live action which somehow heightened the suspense by making you smile thus relieving tension. The sets were a total joy, completely recreating Victorian environments in very convincing fine detail. The cast were superb, totally plausible and very engaging. Don't miss this fabulous film, the craft of film making at it's very best.

Despite being yet another film set in London (yawn) The Limehouse Golem is atmospheric and will certainly hold your attention. This is partly due to the detailed scenic constructions that create a dark, intimate atmosphere but also due to the excellent casting. Juan Carlos Medina brings out the best in the cast. Watch how he uses the actors' eyes to communicate directly with the audience via the camera lens. Oliva Cooke, alternately resembling Emma Watson and Julia Roberts, glows and sparkles and then freezes as the film jumps between her recalled memory and her jail cell. Sadly, the usually wonderful Bill Nighy only hints at his customary quirkiness and the inferred gayness of Nighy's Inspector Kildare and Daniel May's gentle George Flood seems strangely pointless. The interplay between audience the stage of the music hall and the audience draws the cinema audience right into the heart of the action. The music hall scenes are beautifully re-imagined and are a joy to watch. Douglas Booth turns in a beautifully sensitive portrayal of Dan Leno that reminded me of Eddie Redmayne in the Danish Girl.

Despite the fact that the film is a little under-written - I worked out the identity of the Golem about one third of the way through the film -

this is a very enjoyable and convincing tale that is well told. My major criticism of the film is that it is overlong. Sometimes less is more and the film would have benefited by tighter editing of the final scenes where fantasy and fact become confused leading to the audience being not quite sure what is happening.

Overall, though, a very enjoyable couple of hours spent in the cinema and please, film producers,let's have more films like this. But please also remember that London was not the only location in the UK where dark deeds happened in Victorian times. There was, and is, life and interest outside London.

I really enjoyed this film.

There is real chemistry between Bill Nighy and Daniel Mays. Nighy is electrifying as ever. Most of the supporting cast are great. It has a gloomy atmosphere and the music hall setting works well (albeit a music hall with lots of music and absolutely zero musicians!).

Its not overly gory - this is a good thing as its the plot and character interplay that is strong here.

The ye olde London Town setting is well done.

The story moves along as quite a pace with red herrings and twists galore.

We guessed whodunit 2/3 of the way through - but it was an entertaining ride nonetheless.

This film is a cut above much of the generic and formulaic Hollywood fare we are fed these days.

Go see it quickly while its still in cinemas - its not nearly as big a hit as it deserves to be.