31 More Days of Horror: From Hell (2001)

From Hell, the eerie atmospheric adaptation of a graphic novel might not qualify as a true hack and slash. However, the source material—Jack the Ripper—and the hunt for him is oozing with potential.  Under the director of the Hughes brothers, this viscious gory drama is bloody spectacular.  Furthering the goodness is  Johnny Depp as the opium-addicted Scotland Yard inspector.

Key to the film’s success is a fascination with Jack the Ripper. Victorian London is painstakingly recreated, gorgeously so and it becomes a playground for a man to prey on prostitutes. As Mary Kelly’s (Heather Graham) friends/co-workers are found dead, horribly disfigured, often disemboweled, the hunt for the killer becomes bogged down as Inspector Abberline’s theory may lead straight to the royal family.

The Hughes brothers effectively build tension and fear through the seedy streets of London. The cinematography creates amazing depth and shadows.  London was a creepy place in the 19th Century.  As the heinous murder mystery unfolds—supported by a top-notch score—the viewer can’t seem to grasp the horror. Much of the violence takes place off screen, but your imagination conjures gruesome images that will haunt for days. The throat slashing comes to mind.

From Hell is a great horror flick in the same vein of Silence of the Lambs or se7en. With its conspiracy theories, top-notch cast that includes Robbie Coltrane and Ian Holmes, and bloody violent images, its fine addition to any horror queue.