Jack Is Back!

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2001)

"From Hell" is quite a departure for the Hughes Brothers. One almost wouldn't expect something like this from the twins who directed "Menace II Society" and "Dead Presidents." But they did a wonderful job in this examination of the Jack the Ripper murders. The Victorian city of London is presented in its dismal, eerie splendor. Johnny Depp seems to fit in as Inspector Abberline, the latest in his long list of oddball movie roles. And the story is rather well-written, taking an in-depth look at the murders, all the suspects, and thought-provoking theories involving Buckingham Palace scandals and secret societies. This movie may not have solved the mystery of Jack the Ripper once and for all. But it adds to the legacy of a legend that will haunt us all.