Atmospheric but confusing

Rating: 6/10 (21 April 2003)

"From Hell" is a movie that's obviously done very competently: the acting is great, the costumes and sets look very convincing, the camera work is good, in short everything shows signs of quality.
It's a shame that this quality doesn't extend into the story. While it certainly is creative and sheds an interesting light on the "Jack the Ripper" case, it's not very coherent or believable. In fact, it's a complete mess. After watching about half the movie, I simply forgot about the plot and just enjoyed the dark, moody atmosphere and the strangely enjoyable gory moments.
If you want to see an interesting mood piece with some suspenseful moments, check out this movie. If you want to see a movie that actually offers a sensible story in addition to everything this movie has to offer, check out the far superior "Sleepy Hollow".
** out of **** stars