Film of the Week: The Limehouse Golem

This gripping horror-drama, period film starring Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, and Douglas Booth, tells the story of a series of murders that were so graphic, people struggled to believe them to be true. We’re introduced to the story when the husband of Oliver Cooke’s character (Lizzie Cree) John Cree (played by Sam Reid) was found dead in bed and was quickly concluded as poisoned.

We learn the life of Lizzie Cree, who as an adult, is standing trial. The public and the media believe she murdered her husband, because he abused her and was the Limehouse Golem. John Kildare, a detective for Scotland Yard, is unexpectedly assigned to the case, but he attaches himself to it. He genuinely believes John Cree is to be the Golem. Lizzie Cree will hang for the murder of her husband, but he needs to prove she wasn’t the Golem. When she does hang, she can be remembered for the person who stopped the Golem, not as the Golem.

It has that aura of a classic Sherlock Holmes story, but it is most definitely its own thing, not in any way a copy.  With any murder mystery, the first time round is always the best, as you don’t know who done it, and you’re hooked, trying to find as many clues as you can – those subtle hints the writer and director have dropped into the background or into someone’s speech which points to the real culprit – but ultimately you never truly figure it out until it’s revealed at the end. That’s the fun of these mysteries, when everything is explained – maybe even a couple of twists revealed. However, The Limehouse Golem is a murder mystery you can watch over and over again, despite knowing who done it, because of everyone’s performance, the smooth writing between characters, and especially the scenes of which they show John Kildare’s thought process, of which the voice generally sounds as if a demon has possessed the killer.

Being labelled a horror, there weren’t many parts that were scary. In fact, it was hardly scary at all, unfortunately. The horror came from the blood and gore, the dark tones and the way the film bounces off those dark moments with the characters performing a comedic play. It’s the only way these performers can make money – and turning tones around in such quick succession is hard to pull off, but this film does it effortlessly. The horror also comes from the intensity and desperation from the characters wanting to find out the truth before it’s too late. It’s not scary, just horrifically atmospheric.

The Limehouse Golem is set in the 1800s, and it captures the feel of such a period perfectly, from the sets to the clothing, to the vernacular. The interactions with John Kildare and Lizzie Cree were perfection. Not a sentence was out of place. Every word they said held weight, and they never said anything that was unnecessary. Their dialogue was tight, with hardly any room for manoeuvring, keeping the tension high and the mystery strong.

In conclusion: If you’re into the classic murder mystery then I would recommend The Limehouse Golem, but you do have to prepare yourself for the strong dark tonal shifts throughout.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)