A Stylish Thriller

Rating: 7/10 (26 October 2001)

David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky and Quentin Tarantino are all well-known for their intentive and creative visual style. Perhaps, it is time to add the Hughes brothers to this list of impressive visual stylists. Obviously, they already had a gritty realistic film ("Menace II Society") to their credit. "From Hell" is an equally terrific film in terms of camerawork and colors. The 1880 redish skyline of London is as dark, gritty and realistic in this film as any other film I can remember. It is not just the art and set direction which make this production so realistic and interesting; the editing and camera movement is intense and helps glue the viewer's eyes to the screen. Proof of the powerful mise en scene and editing of "From Hell" are in the murder sequences. These scenes are more creative and disturbing, yet gripping than anything in most the horror films made in the last few years. The performances are solid, but not all that memorable in comparison to the overall style of this film. A 7 out of 10.