Review of The Limehouse Golem (2016) by Wayne K — 14 Dec 2017

The Limehouse Golem is steeped in excellent period detail and offers a real sense of a prestigious city and the decadent underbelly that it tries so desperately to hide. The mystery at it's centre is very difficult to completely follow, since the film jumps around between important plot points and characters and gives you little time to orientate yourself.

I almost gave up at times, but a desire to see how it would end kept me invested until the very final moments. It plays somewhat fast and loose with reality, twisting perceptions and using camera tricks and CGI to warp our sense of what's real and what's imaginary.

Bill Nighy gives the lead a stoic, balanced confidence as he attempts to investigate a serial killer on the loose, while also trying his best to prevent a person in need throwing everything away for pride.

I can't see myself watching it again, and it goes on for maybe 20 minutes longer than it should, throwing in more and more details, ostensibly to make the proceedings more complicated, but it feels more like it was done to prolong the duration.

But it's a treat for anyone interested in murder mysteries and/or gothic horror, and its visuals, whether they be to titillate the senses or turn the stomach, are not soon forgotten.