Dr. Jekyll
Directed byJoe Stephenson
Written byDan Kelly-Mulhern
Starring Eddie Izzard, Scott Chambers
Unrated
Runtime: 89 minutes
Available digitally March 11

by Fiona Underhill, Staff Writer

The two big Gothic villains that have dominated pop culture since Victorian times are Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster, as can be seen in recent titles such as The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Renfield as well as Chloe Zhao’s upcoming Dracula and Dave Egger’s upcoming Nosferatu. Then there’s Lisa Frankenstein, Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein movie starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley.

The vice-like grip that these two towering, looming figures still have on the horror genre is powerful, but I actually prefer two Victorian Gothic stories that have had nowhere near as many famous adaptations. One is Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, which has only really had two prominent and fairly well-known films–the masterful 1945 version and the 2009 movie starring Ben Barnes. Sarah Snook’s one-woman play version is currently getting rave reviews, however. The second is Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which has one truly definitive version from 1931 starring Fredric March. Funnily enough, 2023 brought us two, strikingly different versions of the tale of a man with two, strikingly different personalities. There is Hope Dickson Leach’s black and white theatrical/film hybrid version set in Edinburgh (which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival), and then there’s Joe Stephenson’s modern-day set film starring Eddie Izzard in the titular role. Excitingly, this is a new release from the legendary Hammer Films, which of course has decades of experience in bringing these iconic horror characters to life. Izzard has a taste for the genre at the moment, having recently performed a one-woman version of Great Expectations in the West End.

It would be easy to assume, going into a version of Doctor Jekyll starring Eddie Izzard, that it might go down the Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) route – with Izzard playing one side of the character as male and one as female. But Stephenson and his co-writer Dan Kelly-Mulhern resist this somewhat obvious twist on the tale. Izzard plays secretive and reclusive billionaire scientist Dr Nina Jekyll, who recruits a new live-in carer and personal assistant, Rob (Scott Chambers). Stephenson plays up the melodrama with a title sequence that tells us exactly what to expect, with music and font styles that could come directly from the Hammer horrors of the ‘70s. Once Rob enters through the tall wrought iron gates that throw long shadows ahead of him, we know what we’re in for. Nina resides in an English stately home with her estate manager, the snobby Sandra (played wonderfully by Lindsay Duncan), who takes an instant dislike to Rob because he has recently been released from prison.

One of the biggest downsides of Doctor Jekyll is that Duncan doesn’t have enough screen time, as the film needs more of her spitting out lines such as; “what are you going to do if Nina needs help during the night? Skype… it… in?” Fortunately, Izzard’s performance makes up for Duncan’s absence, with her eccentric billionaire making meals out of mouthfuls of dialogue such as calling eggs for breakfast “lugubrious,” compared to “crunchy, nutty cornflakes.” If you’ve ever seen Izzard’s stand up, you will know she has a way with words and her line deliveries are always delightfully surprising. It’s not all humor though, with her talon-like red nails and elaborate gold-topped cane hinting at the darker side of her character. Nina is a big pharma CEO, and this aspect of her personality and history could have been explored further.

Cinematographer Birgit Dierken highlights the sun hazily streaming in through the huge windows, adding a spooky atmosphere even to the daytime scenes. Strong shafts of light are present in almost every scene, and this visual flair, which is a homage to Hammer’s past, is certainly welcome. The majority of the film being set during the day is unusual for a horror movie and also means that the frequent modern problem of poorly lit nighttime scenes is not an issue here. The production design by Natalie O’Connor and costume design by Libby Irwin are both excellent, with Izzard’s dark purple tartan outfit being a stand out. Izzard’s hair, make-up and jewelry are also fantastic–there’s clearly been a lot of attention paid to these details despite the film’s presumably low budget.

Doctor Jekyll reaches a climactic moment, at the exact midpoint, where Izzard dances to “This is the Beginning of the End” by Anthony Newley. This is maybe the best scene in the film, but unfortunately things go downhill from there. The second half of the film–and the encroachment of a subplot involving Rob’s ex-girlfriend–is not as strong as the first half. It’s a shame that so many horror films tend to go off the rails in the final third, as they nail the slow build up but then whiff the big reveal. Rachel Hyde’s lair is well constructed–continuing the film’s strong cinematography and production design. But there’s so much exposition, as things are revealed to Rob, it gets quite boring.

Doctor Jekyll should be welcomed by my fellow lovers of classic Victorian Gothic horror, and it’s also a great showcase for Izzard–something else which is certainly worthy of celebration. Chambers’ performance as Rob drags the film down slightly, and the second half is unfortunately weaker than the first. Teasing us with a juicy Lindsay Duncan performance, only to whip her away before she gets much to do, is borderline criminal. But the vast majority of the film is set in the single “haunted house” location of Nina’s stately home and is very well shot, bringing a lot of atmosphere and interesting light to both day and night scenes. There’s much to commend here, and is a welcome return for a British studio with such a rich horror history. Long live Hammer!