It’s Time to Let ‘The Limehouse Golem’ Loose (Review)

Directed by: Juan Carlos Medina

Cast:  Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Eddie Marsan

The Limehouse Golem’s been flying under the radar, so I’ll bring you up to speed – this is a murder mystery period piece, and overall, small hiccups aside, it’s a damn fine murder mystery period piece. We get yanked into the world of an English serial killer, and the tracks traveled to find the killer are intriguing, though often a little frustrating. The Limehouse Golem is, for the most part, a straight-forward tale, it just so happens to feature an assortment of twists and turns that should successfully keep viewers on their toes.

The film is underplayed in terms of apparel, behavior, just the style of life in an English we don’t truly know. It’s not that the set design or the costume department fails, it’s just that they play it a little bit safe. As crazy as it sounds, knowing a bit about the look of apparel from a century or so ago, I think it’s just a muffled element of the story, if you will. I suppose that may be a good thing; better safe than sorry. As “they” like to say.

The ensemble in the film is absolutely sublime.

Bill Nighy still commands a scene every time he enters it. He’s your uncle you respect and love, but also cower from like a beaten puppy. That’s just who the living legend is. He plays opposite the young Olivia Cooke (you know her from Bates Motel) who more than holds her own, impressing in numerous sequences of differing tones. Admiral work for a south-of-30 performer. And, to be fair, you really won’t find a background player who slip. All around, the performances are quite fine.

I can’t really convince myself to dig deeper into the details. Because it is a murder mystery, anything I say can be a potential spoiler, whether I realize it while writing it, or not. What I can and will tell you is this: expect some absolutely gorgeous set pieces, some gorgeous transitions by a mighty fine editor and a really rewarding finale with one “oh My God” moment in wait.

I haven’t seen The Limehouse Golem being promoted very much, which is a disappointment. This multilayered, Ripperesque film is full of tense moments, eerie cliffhangers and jarring revelations. The acting and visual presentation are quite impressive. Mystery or no mystery, it’s an absolute perfect pick for the horror freak in all of us, and it should have been being shoved down our throats for months on end now. It’s a worthy production, whether it’s perfect or not.

Rating: 4/5