Limehouse Golem, The

Based on the 1994 novel Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem by Peter Ackroyd, The Limehouse Golem (2016) is a ghoulish portrayal of a Victorian London slum and the stone-faced detective trying to solve a series of grizzly and sensational crimes. It was directed by Juan Carlos Medina and adapted for the screen by Jane Goldman.Medina is an inexperienced director, having only four films under his belt since 2001, and only two were full-length. Goldman wrote screenplays for The Woman in Black (2012), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). Her talented script shines through.In the opening act, Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke) is arrested on suspicion of poisoning her husband, John (Sam Reid). Meanwhile, Inspector John Kildare (Bill Nighy) is tasked to solve the “Limehouse Golem” murders, which have become sensationalized in the press. He enlists the help of a Limehouse bobby George Flood (Daniel Mays).They discover the Golem’s diary written on the pages of “On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts” (1827) by Thomas De Quincey in a library and narrow the suspects to four men: philosopher Karl Marx (Henry Goodman), writer George Gissing (Morgan Watkins), comedian Dan Leno (Douglas Booth), and John Cree.Inspector John Kildare is not an adept detective and even refers to himself as a scapegoat. Focusing almost entirely on handwriting analysis to whittle down a list of four suspects, he misses obvious clues like the fact that no new murders occur after the death of John Cree and the imprisonment of Elizabeth. The Limehouse Golem made it clear he was seeking fame above all else; he would not let someone else take the blame while he quietly slipped away, meaning the murderer had to either be John or Elizabeth.**Major spoiler** In the end, it’s revealed that Elizabeth was the Golem all along. Left scarred and unable to enjoy sex by a cruel punishment inflicted by her mother, Elizabeth was raised on the streets until eventually carving out a home at the local theater. John Cree promises to give her the staring role in his new play if she marries him, but the play bombs and he loses interest. Desperate for the crowd’s adulation, Elizabeth turns into a monster–crafting her murderous persona around the mythological golem, a creature in Jewish folklore created from mud or clay.This surprise ending doesn’t work well because it’s so out of left field. There are no indications Elizabeth is capable of the grisly crimes, and it’s a historic fact that most female serial killers (rare in and of itself) are poisoners and not brutal killers. Also, if Elizabeth was so desperate for fame and wanted recognition as the Limehouse Golem, why did she wait until just before she was executed to take credit? Why did she bother poisoning her husband and attempt to put the blame on him? That being said, Olivia Cooke, who also played Emma Decody on Bates Motel (2013-2017), was great in the role.The Limehouse Golem is not historic fiction in a sense that the main plot and events really happened, but the setting, crimes, culture, and peripheral characters were largely historical, much like Gangs of New York (2002) colorfully brought to life mid-nineteenth century New York City. Limehouse is a district in east London on the north bank of the River Thames, and has long been an important shipping hub. In Victorian London, Limehouse was a bit Bohemian, with numerous bawdy music halls. It was frequented by well-known performers and intellectual figures, like three of the historic characters in the film: Karl Marx, George Gissing, and Dan Leno.The Limehouse Golem is not without its inaccuracies. The movie is set in 1880 and contains references to concealing homosexuality, public hanging, the age of consent being 16, and a magic trick involving a woman being cut in half. According to Christopher Pittard, a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Portsmouth, the age of consent in Great Britain was raised to 16 in 1885, homosexuality was not criminalized until 1885, public hangings were abolished in 1868, and no woman was cut in half in a magic trick until 1921. These are relatively minor inaccuracies, but I wonder why the film wasn’t just set five years later, since it contains other references to events in 1885 as well.The film criticizes “white knights,” men who rush to the aid of vulnerable women, and even uses the anachronistic term. When George Gissing asks Inspector Kildare if he’s surprised he married a “fallen woman,” Kildare replies contemptuously: “Why would anyone be surprised? The world is full of men like you, Mr. Gissing. Men who feign generosity when all they really seek is congratulation. Men who play God by saving lives. Is it really so different, I wonder, than playing God by taking them?” It’s a great line, but doesn’t make much sense. I think any reasonable person would say saving lives is quite different from taking them, whatever the motive.Overall, The Limehouse Golem has a decent cast, good direction, and great dialog. It rises above the typical police procedural, especially for history buffs, but isn’t quite as impactful as its creators intended.

This is a film for fans of suspenseful Victorian horror stories the likes of such yarns as are spun about the infamous Jack the Ripper. If you're a lover of the intellectually stimulating intrigue delivered by BBC murder mysteries, then maybe this movie isn't for you. The movie is as much about societal injustice and the historical plight of women as it is about uncovering a serial murderer. This film is gritty, suggestive and at times gory. It's based upon the novel, Dan Leno & the Limehouse Golem by Peter Akroyd (1994) which I've never read. I can't say whether the creators of the film bothered to read it either. Limehouse was the name of a district in Victorian London populated by impoverished immigrants, prostitutes, predators and apparently music hall performers. A string of slayings grips the public imagination, as the killer has taken to calling himself the "Golem" -after the monster from Hebrew legend. Douglas Booth excels on screen as enigmatic music hall performer Dan Leno. Adorable Olivia Cooke delivers an admirable performance as Lizzie Cree, the wide-eyed "victim" of a world turned vicious. Karl Marx (Henry Goodman) makes a cameo in the tale as well. The movie was well directed and the cast shines. Bill Nighy -always superb- plays Detective John Kildare, assigned by Scotland Yard as a scapegoat to a seemingly unsolvable murder case. If he follows the plans laid forth for him, he is destined to fail and be publicly shamed. What nobody realizes is that Kildare is maverick and that his success is attributable to his persistence, critical thinking, and unorthodox approach.While searching for evidence, he comes upon a possible tie to a seemingly unrelated case -the poisoning of playwright John Cree (Sam Reid). Cree's wife, Lizzie, stands accuse of murdering her husband and Kildare resolves to clear her name by discovering the true identity of the Limehouse Golem. Hold on to your coats - what would any suspenseful thriller be without a last-minute plot twist...?

I had to watch the film. I am a big Sam Reid fan. A few heavy hitters.

You’ll recognize a lot of what this is based on, probably.It’s a strange mix of real and off the rails. But it you didn’t figure it out in the first 20 minutes I’m not sure why.If you like gross outs in horror they’re politely avoided. If you like an interesting mystery, you’ll be bored.If you like weird Victorian mashups where no one does any research and hasn’t read any source material, like Penny Dreadful or Dead Still this might work for you.

Story caught me off guard, not expecting such a striking and interesting story. Great cast. Watch three times in two days. Will watch again.

An extremely fast delivery, purchase appears to be in perfect condition. No complaints. A+ seller.

Beautifully atmospheric winter thriller with a nice couple of twists at the end.As ever, Bill Nighy leads the way with his well-crafted portrayal of the lead detective.There are some leaps in time during the film that require you to pay attention and the sound quality seemed a bit muffled (as seems to be the way of TV drama these days) which didn't help at times, which collectively cost this the full five stars but otherwise well worth putting aside for a winter's night with the lights down (candles?) and a trip back to Victorian London...

Review of the Blu Ray version.The Limehouse Golem is a highly entertaining film dealing with Victorian mass-murder and is a mix of Ripper Street (the setting and details of the grim lives of the poor), From Hell (the grand schemes of the killer and revisiting of real Victorian crimes) and Seven (the killer's notebooks). Bill Nighy is excellent as the lead detective who drives the narrative - both uncovering clues and interviewing suspects to trigger flashback sequences - but all the cast are equally good.While the film is based around a solid whodunnit structure, it also subtly deals with topics like feminism, the treatment of the poor as well as the nature of acting and the corrosive nature of fame. It's a tough watch at times and the gore is not spared, but it's also beautiful in places with a vivid reconstruction of Victorian London.Blu Ray picture quality is superb. Extras are the let down, just an 8 minute "Making Of", whereas the film is crying out for a director or writer's commentary to talk about the plot and the real events and real people woven into it (Dan Leno and Karl Marx are suspects and at least one murder is a deliberate recreation of a Jack the Ripper murder).Overall: highly entertaining film with a disc that could be better.

In a London just before the Ripper another serial killer stalks the streets.Beautifully produced, atmospheric thriller/horror with Bill Nighy giving a controlled and calming central performance as the copper on the trail of the killer. At times bloody, at times, funny, but always good to look at, even if at times you want to look away.

After a few attempts to order this dvd unsuccessfully, Amazon finally managed to despatch it to my country. It was so much worth the while. Bill Nighy is great as the gentle, unassuming detective! The story is a solid one - the other actors are fantastic as well. I have had this dvd for some time, but I have watched a few times and the interest has not waned. I think the best crime tales are the ones that make you ask questions after you have viewed the film and this is one of those stories.

Well made with some interesting twists. Got a bit complicated towards the end. Kept thinking I'd missed something. Probably needs a second viewing. Quite entertaining overall with atmospheric sets.