There have been numerous incarnations of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic tale, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde since the birth of the celluloid art, from John Barrymore’s 1920 silent era, through to Spencer Tracy; Boris Karloff; Jack Palance; John Malkovich; and (ahem) Russell Crowe. British Horror film production company Hammer Films have also had their fair share of presentations with mixed results.

The Four Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Now under the helm of British Theatre Producer, John Gore, and a second new wave for Hammer, they have once again decided to resurrect the story once more for a modern audience, dropping the monster moniker with the far simpler title, Doctor Jekyll. The notable absence of the alter ego, a deliberate ploy with the focus on the clinician but the presence of Mr. Hyde is always lurking in the background. 

In this version, we are presented with a descendant of Jekyll, a reclusive pharmaceutical magnate, Nina (Eddie Izzard), who is recovering from an injury. In steps ex-convict Rob (Scott Chambers) who is trying to turn his life around and finds possible redemption as an in-house carer for Nina. His meek, mild-mannered persona makes one question how Rob could have been brought to ruin in the first place, but then again, perceptions and false representations of character are at the forefront of Director Joe Stephenson’s and writer Dan Kelly-Mulhern’s creative vision. We are continually poised on the brink of something sinister as the slow-burn dramatic tension gets dialled up to its final conclusion.

The Prognosis:

Gore is clearly a lover of the old school Hammer Films and stylistically has employed Stephenson to infuse this visual with a new and bold approach to Gothic stories. 

Izzard does a fine job of playing the titular role with sometimes campy, sometimes macabre, but always grounded in realism. A balance that isn’t easy to take hold of, but Izzard is also a fan of this era, as evidenced in some of his early stand-up routines and must be in his element here. Likewise, Chambers has a tough act to deliver, playing it straight and holding back on Rob’s traumatic past, trying to bury the pain deep but always the threat of something far darker beneath the surface. 

Where the story falls flat is in its delivery, with a steady and slow pace that drifts into mediocrity and failing to ignite or lift the veil of intrigue until the climax. 

• Saul Muerte